Abstract:
This paper studies the links between discrepancies in the language spoken at home and the medium of instruction at school and grade repetition using nationally representative sample surveys in India. Our sample consists of more than 100,000 students attending educational institutions. Using a fixed effects regression model, we find that language discrepancy is negatively associated with grade repetition among boys and is not statistically significant for girls. Subgroup analyses suggest that results are driven by urban, relatively wealthier households residing in Hindi-speaking states. Implications for policies such as the recently proposed National Education Policy (NEP) are discussed.