Accessibility as the determinant of attending educational opportunities in rural India

摘要

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