Input-Oriented Technical Efficiency and Its Determinants of Primary Education in West Bengal: A District-Level Analysis

Considering secondary data of West Bengal’s district-level primary education for 2005–06 to 2013–14, this study measures (i) input-oriented technical efficiency (INPTE) for each sample year, (ii) the extent of inefficiency in different input utilization and (iii) the determinants of INPTE. After first-stage estimation of INPTE, second-stage panel regression for determinant analysis follows, with district-school specific favourable and poor infrastructure, policy variables and district-level macro-indicators representing economic environment, as determinants. Two-output, four-input variable-returns-to-scale framework is used; the net-enrolment ratio and students passed with 60% in examination (in percentage, representing output-quality) as outputs; (i) number of primary schools per lakh population, (ii) teacher–pupil ratio, (iii) classroom–student ratio, (iv) teachers with qualification graduate and above (in percentage, indicating teacher quality) as inputs. Absence of full efficiency, with inter-district variation of INPTE, is evident. High literacy rate and or educational development index may not result in high INPTE. Teacher–pupil ratio and teachers with qualification graduate and above (in percentage) have the highest and the lowest level inefficiency in input utilization. INPTE is influenced significantly and (i) negatively by percentage of single-teacher schools, (ii) positively by percentage of schools having girl’s toilet, percentage of girls getting free textbook to boys and per capita net district domestic product. Policy measures are suggested for improving INPTE.