Background

Illiteracy is a more pertinent issue in highly populated states such as Uttar Pradesh. Year after year, the Indian census ranks the state as the most populated, as well as most illiterate in the country. The literacy rate in Uttar Pradesh is on an upward trend, at 69.72 percent in 2011 compared to 56.27 percent in 2001. Further, in 2011, the male literacy rate stood at 79.24 percent, while the female literacy stood at 59.26 percent. In 2001, the literacy rate in Uttar Pradesh was 67.30 percent for males and 43.00 percent for females. Our study is comprised of villages spread across the state of Uttar Pradesh.

TARA Akshar+: A Brief Overview

TARA Akshar Plus (+) is an innovative computer-based functional literacy program that trains rural women to read and write in Hindi, along with executing basic mathematical calculations. It is one of only three instructional methods recognized by the Government of India for adult literacy under the National Literacy Mission. It was developed, in 2004, by TARAhaat Information and Marketing Services Ltd. - the ICT arm of the non-profit organization Development Alternatives (DA). A TARA Akshar+ instructor uses software, flash cards, and playing cards to train the students in just 56 days with 2 hour classes each day. Students alternate between reading and writing lessons. Class teaching is a combination of direct instruction and computer animations, which stimulate various cognitive memory techniques.

Unlike other existing programs, TA boasts a “success rate” of over 90%. However, this success rate has never been independently verified or corrected for baseline rates and sample selection into the program (e.g. only the more motivated women decide to join). The first step of the research is to assess the efficiency of the TA program, analyze the participation decision (as not all women invited decide to join), and document the potential of computer-based adult literacy classes. As a second step, we determine the causal effects of investing in a child's health and education with special attention paid to the gender dynamics. Finally, through qualitative analysis and behavioral games, we establish the mechanisms through which female adult literacy affects household behavior. Examining these mechanisms raises a number of questions. Does participating in the TA program enhance a woman's confidence and knowledge? Does it change one's beliefs? Does it change one's preferences for health and education? Does it affect one's bargaining power? In the second phase of the project, we investigated the longer terms effects on behaviour, as well as the effects on child health and educational outcomes.

TARA Akshar+: Our Research

Despite its importance in both policy and academic discussions, the formation of adult literacy, as well as the role of literacy in intra-household decision-making and socio-economic outcomes, remains poorly understood. This misunderstanding is primarily the result of a lack of data. For instance, the NLM requires learners to be tested at the end of the programs, but it does not require that the skills displayed at the end of the program are compared to those at the beginning nor compared relative to a control group. As such, the effect on literacy skills remains unknown. Few adult literacy programs are set-up alongside rigorous data collection. At present, the academic literature lacks an established causal link between adult literacy and socio-economic outcomes & behaviour. 

This project, which is a collaborative effort between the UK-based social enterprise ReadingWise International, the Indian NGO Development Alternatives (DA), and an interdisciplinary team of academic researchers come from the Centre for Development Economics, University of Ottawa, University of Sussex, and the Institute for Development Economics (Tokyo) aims to fill this gap.

Concretely, the research team assigned 800 illiterate adult women in 10 villages in Uttar Pradesh (UP) to either i) a treatment group or ii) a control group. The women in the treatment group were invited to participate in the Tara Akshar (TA) literacy program, which was implemented by DA. We collected qualitative and quantitative data prior to the commencement of the program and after the conclusion of the program. This data includes information on income, wealth, production, consumption, education, health, cognitive skills, non-cognitive skills, and intra-household decision-making. In addition, we conducted novel behavioral games simulating intra-household decision-making through which we can measure bargaining power, confidence, beliefs, preferences, and efficiency.

TARA Akshar+ Research Project: Our Goal

The principle goal of our research is to inform policy. The Government of India, through the NLM, aims to improve gender equity and socio-economic outcomes. This research project will be the first of its kind to provide direct evidence on the aforementioned links. This rigorous evidence has the potential to shift the current policy framework. As stated earlier, the success rates of many traditional adult literacy programs are disappointing. In the Indian context, this is attributed to large class sizes, inflexible schedules, poorly designed curriculum, and low participation. In this project, the results of this innovative, computer-based program will not only be relevant for India. They will also be relevant for the rest of South Asia and Africa, where adult illiteracy rates remain high. The TA+ program will directly benefit from our research, as it will offer the program the necessary leverage to expand further and adapt for future editions. The interdisciplinary investigation into intra-household decision-making will offer insights into a variety of aspects of Indian society, ranging from gender inequality in education to the functioning of individual households. As such, we hope that the data generated by this project become the basis for a richer set of theories on intra-household behaviour.