Effects of Social Class on Student Learning Outcomes in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh: A Comparative Literature Synthesis

Abstract

It is widely believed that education systems mirror and reinforce social hierarchies. This article presents the first comparative synthesis across India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh on how socio-economic class reproduces disparities in student learning outcomes. Following PRISMA guidelines, 31 studies were selected through a systematic search of Google Scholar and SCOPUS databases, along with expert recommendations. The final selection included 29 journal articles, two doctoral dissertations and two working papers. The findings from these studies show that parental wealth, maternal education, paternal occupation, and caste positively correlate with learning gaps between children. Conversely, the impact of ethnicity on learning outcomes remains under-researched in all the three countries. Education policy must counter these class-based inequities to level the playing field for every child. Unless differences in home-based endowments are factored into design and implementation of policies, education systems will continue to reproduce social inequalities in academic attainment. The article also highlights that the analytical utility of "social class" is contested in the Global North, but it remains a vital framework for understanding learning variances in South Asia.