Urban influences on rural schooling in India

• 成果类型: Article; Proceedings Paper
• 署名作者: Kochar, A
• 署名单位: Stanford University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0304-3878
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2003.12.006
• 发表日期: 2004
• 页码: 113-136
• 关键词: rural schooling; rates of return; urban employment

摘要

Many believe that low levels of schooling in rural areas of developing economics are a consequence of the low rate of return to schooling in agriculture, This belies the possibility that rural schooling decisions are undertaken in response to the possibility of employment in urban areas. This paper tests this hypothesis, using three cross sections of household data for rural India. It finds that urban rates of return do influence rural schooling, particularly amongst households who are most likely to seek urban employment, such as the landless. The results suggest that low levels of rural schooling may reflect not just conditions in the local village economy, but also the functioning and size of the relevant labor market. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.