Impact of private tutoring on learning levels: evidence from India

Abstract

Despite widespread and substantial private expenditure on private coaching outside the formal school system in many developing countries, not much is known about their effects on learning outcomes. The main challenge in estimating such an effect is that the decision to send the child for private coaching is correlated with unobserved variables which are also correlated with learning outcomes.

This paper utilizes a large household survey conducted in rural India, and employs various methodologies to control for the effect of unobserved variables. All methodologies indicate positive and significant effect of extra coaching on learning outcomes. Our preferred estimation is the household fixed effect estimation which indicates 0.14 standard deviation effect of private coaching on learning outcomes. This effect is equivalent to an additional year of schooling. The effect of private coaching is stronger for the students enrolled in government schools compared to the students enrolled in private schools.

The policy significance of this result emanates from the fact that the pedagogical techniques employed in private coaching could be beneficial in improving learning levels in government schools.