Examining teacher absence from the classroom in Indian secondary schools: Power, context and inequality

Education policy in India has long included a focus on the need to address teacher absence from lessons. Using multilevel regression analysis of secondary data from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, this paper quantifies the impact of teacher absence, finding that the most marginalised students are more likely to be affected. Yet analysis also indicates the importance of understanding teacher absence in context, with absence rates highest among those with the most power and influence and those with the least. These findings suggest that efforts to tackle teacher absence must begin at systemic levels, rather than the level of the individual teacher.