Peer-reviewed article
Learning outcomes amidst violent conflict and poverty in India
Vidya Diwakar ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examines how violent conflict and poverty affect children's learning outcomes in India, focusing on areas affected by Naxal violence. The research finds that conflict reduces children's literacy and numeracy skills, with different impacts on boys and girls. Girls face harassment that increases school absences, while boys sometimes stay in hostels to avoid conflict on their journeys. The study identifies both supply-side and demand-side barriers to learning, particularly for poor families.
Key points
- Naxal violence is associated with lower outcomes in basic literacy and numeracy, with variations by gender and poverty trajectory
- Harassment of girls increased school absence in conflict-affected areas
- Some boys stayed in hostels during holidays to avoid interactions with Naxals when travelling to school, reducing other absences
- Supply-side and demand-side constraints particularly affect children in impoverished households
- Conflict modified teacher incentives
Limitations
The document does not specify the sample size, time period, or geographic scope of the study beyond mentioning India. It does not detail the specific mechanisms through which conflict affects teacher incentives or provide quantitative estimates of effect sizes.
Abstract
This paper investigates the relationship between violent conflict, poverty dynamics and learning outcomes in India. Generalized ordered logistic regressions indicate that Naxal violence is associated with lower outcomes in basic literacy and numeracy, though with variations by gender and poverty trajectory. Mixed methods data, involving panel analysis alongside in-depth interviews in conflict-affected areas, point to supply- and demand-side constraints especially for children in impoverished households. Harassment of girls increased school absence, while interactions with Naxals when travelling to school prompted many boys to stay in hostels during holidays thus limiting absences. Conflict also modified teacher incentives. Understanding how conflict affects acquisition of basic skills is critical in contributing to policies better tailored for marginalised girls and boys.