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Highlights: [•] We examine changes in educational inequality in India between years 1993 and 2009. [•] We compute the education Gini index using multiple rounds of large scale nationally representative survey. [•] We find though the inequality has declined during the period, the extent of inequality remains high. [•] The results show there is a clear rural–urban contrast. [•] Using the analysis of Gini, we find that a large part of educational inequality is due to intra-sector inequality. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Despite considerable progress made, a significant proportion of children continue to drop out before reaching secondary school in India. This study investigates factors influencing parental decision-making with regard to children''s secondary schooling in the context of a rural area of Uttar Pradesh. The study finds that cost, distance to the nearest secondary school, membership in traditionally marginalised social groups, and being a girl child have a significant effect on a child''s chance of transition. It also finds that factors influencing participation at the primary level may influence the transition decision, having key implications for education policy formulation across education levels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]