Accessibility as the determinant of attending educational opportunities in rural India

Abstract

Physical access to education is a major issue of deliberation among governments, transport planners and policymakers. The status of physical access to educational institutes in the region is determined by the collective characteristics of the area, such as proximity and the level of services available. Transport accessibility in rural areas is challenging and affects the physical access to education in developing countries. Subsequently, a research enquiry is posed: does transport accessibility in the region affects access to educational opportunities in the rural context? If yes, what transport-related determinants influence access to educational opportunities? Census data is used for analysis, employing a multivariate regression approach using ordinary least squares estimation. The key revelations of the research are (a) proximity to the educational institute and transit are the critical determinants of attending the educational institute in rural India, (b) bicycle ownership improves attendance at educational institutes in the study region and (c) a considerable gender differential and the rural–urban gap in attending the higher educational institutes exist, signifying the accessibility poverty in the region. This study contributes a framework for analysing the transport accessibility determinants of attending educational opportunities in data-scarce conditions in the global south.