This paper analyzes gender differences in reading and mathematics among Indian
children ages 8-11 using data from the 2005 India Human Development Survey.
Employing descriptive statistics and ordered logistic regression techniques, this study
examines how social background, access to learning resources, time devoted to formal
learning activities, and cultural attitudes are associated with gender inequality in
educational outcomes. It is hypothesized that gender inequality may result from historical
attitudes regarding the education of girls as well as certain parents choosing to prioritize
sons’ education over daughters’ education. This may be due to a hidden opportunity cost
of engaging girls in activities (e.g. childcare) that have economic value for the family,
particularly for girls in rural areas and from the lowest income families. The results
provide some evidence to support these theories. Relative to boys, the presence of
younger siblings reduces the likelihood of girls advancing in both reading and
mathematics. In addition, higher levels of household assets increase the likelihood of girls
advancing in reading. Unfortunately, mixed findings related to rural/urban status provide
less insight than desired regarding this factor. Finally, attitudes supportive of female
education are found to benefit girls’ reading achievement.