Public Alternatives and Educational Markets: Evidence from Welfare Residential Schools in India
Abstract
We study the rapid post-2016 expansion of welfare residential schools in Telangana, India—a publicly financed system targeting historically marginalized populations. Unlike school-choice reforms that expand private provision, this reform expanded a public institution operating alongside government and private schools. Using cross-district variation in expansion intensity, we find that districts with larger expansions saw substantial increases in welfare school enrollment and declines in private aided enrollment, though these declines are not always statistically significant. Substitution patterns are similar for marginalized and other students. These findings suggest alternative public governance models can reshape enrollment within stratified educational markets.
Fields of Study & Subjects
School Choice and Performance
Poverty
Education
and Child Welfare
Global Educational Reforms and Inequalities
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of School Choice
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 410–431
- Publication date
- 3 July 2026
- Language
- EN