Gender Heterogeneity and Inter-generational Transmission of Learning Ability in India

Abstract

This article examines the role of gender heterogeneity in inter-generational transmission of learning efficiency, a proxy for scholastic ability. We use primary survey data of 1000 elementary students collected from 125 public schools in Uttar Pradesh in 2019. Efficiency scores calculated from data envelopment analysis by considering students’ academic test scores in various courses are used as a proxy for learning ability. First, we find strong evidence of inter-generational transmission of schooling of father, mother, and average parents to their children. Second, the study finds that a mother’s educational attainment in children’s learning efficiency is relatively more significant than that of the father. In addition, we observe the gender heterogeneous effect of parents’ education on children’s learning efficiency, where transmission effects in the case of girls show improvement if parents’ level of education increases. As a policy implication, the study highlights the importance of girls’ education, which not only narrows the gender gap in education but also facilitates the inter-generational transmission of learning, benefitting the family and society.