English language premium: Evidence from a policy experiment in India

Tanika Chakraborty () and Shilpi Kapur Bakshi

Economics of Education Review, 2016, vol. 50, issue C, 1-16

Abstract: In this paper, we estimate the English premium in a globalizing economy, by exploiting an exogenous language policy intervention in India that abolished teaching of English in public primary schools. Our results indicate that a 10% lower probability of learning English in primary schools leads to a decline in weekly wages by 8%. On an average, this implies 26% lower wages for cohorts exposed to the policy change. We find supporting evidence that occupational choice played an important role in determining this wage-gap.

Keywords: English premium; Language; Triple difference; Education policy; Wage; Occupation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H4 I2 J0 O1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (29)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:50:y:2016:i:c:p:1-16

DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2015.10.004

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