Does an Increase in Enrollment of Girls Relative to Boys Stimulate Technical Efficiency of Secondary Education? Empirical Evidence Using Non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis with Indian State Level Data

Abstract

In contrast to the available literature which uses common frontier for efficiency measurement of Indian secondary education (ISE) with state level data, output-oriented technical efficiency (OUTTE) of Indian states and union territories (UT) is estimated to find whether maximum possible output of ISE given the resources are being generated, by creating two separate frontiers for (i) General Category States (GCS) and (ii) Special Category States (SCS) and UT, as two groups operate under different economic and fiscal conditions, for 2010–2011 to 2015–2016 under variable returns to scale and using non-parametric Data Envelopment Approach. Not all GCS and SCS&UT are perfectly technically efficient, implying GCS/SCS can increase output of ISE given the existing inputs. OUTTE of ISE varies within and between GCS/SCS. A second step determinant analysis suggests both for GCS and SCS, OUTTE is related positively to (i) percentage of girls to boy’s enrollment in ISE, supporting the positive role of gender equality in education regarding enrollment; and (ii) ratio of government education expenditure to aggregate government expenditure and negatively to poor infrastructural variables. OUTTE is also positively related to per capita net state domestic product at factor cost (constant prices), proportion of para-teachers for GCS and percentage of ST enrollment for SCS.

Citation

Choudhury, S. and Ghose, A. (2022), "Does an Increase in Enrollment of Girls Relative to Boys Stimulate Technical Efficiency of Secondary Education? Empirical Evidence Using Non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis with Indian State Level Data", Chakraborty, C. and Pal, D. (Ed.) Environmental Sustainability, Growth Trajectory and Gender: Contemporary Issues of Developing Economies, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 207-218. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80262-153-220221016