Caste-based between-school segregation: a descriptive analysis of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu

After the Right to Education constitutionally guaranteed free and compulsory primary education for all children in 2009, Indian schools experienced a significant increase in enrollment. The state of Tamil Nadu is lauded for this, having nearly realized universal enrollment. However, access has not necessitated equal opportunity. Prior research has established a tendency for enrollment across school types to coincide with caste origins. Building upon these findings, this study investigates the nature of caste-based segregation between Tamil Nadu schools. Using population-level data, this study quantifies between-school segregation by caste and patterns of enrollment, both across and within school type. Using a multigroup measure of segregation and measures of enrollment disproportionality, this study establishes a moderate level of caste-based between-school segregation, characterized by strong reactive patterns to “lower” caste student
presence, specifically students from the Scheduled Caste or Other Backwards Class, and no segregative patterns in response to “upper” caste student presence.