Is there a quantity-quality trade-off as pupil-teacher ratios increase? Evidence from Tamil Nadu, India

Developing countries have been quite successful at expanding enrollments in education, especially at the lower levels. But for any given level of effi ciency, increased enrollments require increased resources, in order to main tain quality. If these resources are not forthcoming, the increase in educa tional quantity may come at the expense of quality. Is there a quantity-qua lity trade-off and what public policies can diminish it in the face of stro ng constraints on public budgets? This paper explores the negative impact o f such an enrollment expansion-unaccompanied by increased numbers of teache rs-on school conditions and learning, using a cross-district time series an alysis of Tamil Nadu, India as a case in point. It examines alternative pol icies which can be used to avoid such negative effects-by more efficient us e of existing public resources and by expansion of over-all educational res ources through greater reliance on private management and finance. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.