Parental Migration and Left-behind Children’s Dropout:An Empirical Analysis based on CHNS Survey Data
Author(s): SU Qun, XU Yue’e, CHEN Jie, College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Agricultural University
Pages: 67-72
Year: 2015 Issue: 2
Journal: Education & Economy
Keyword: parental migration; left-behind children; dropout; secondary school; high school;
Abstract: Based on the data of China Health and Nutrition Survey(CHNS), this paper analyzes the relationship between parental migration and left-behind children’s dropout from secondary and high school in Chinese rural areas. The results show that paternal migration will significantly reduce the probability of left-behind children’s dropout from both secondary and high schools, while maternal migration will largely increase the possibility of children’s dropout from secondary school. Moreover, our results confirm that the Free Compulsory Education Policy has in a large extent reduced the dropout ratio of the left-behind children, whereas parental education level is also highly connected to their children’s education acquisition, namely the higher level of education parents received, the lower possibility for children to drop out from schools. In addition, the number of children in the family and the opportunity costs of going to school have both contributed to a much higher dropout possibility. Thus, to reduce left- behind children’s dropout from school, the government should focus on: creating more local employment opportunities for migrant labors, especially the female ones;impelling the reform of household registration system to ensure that children can migrant with their parents and receive the same educational opportunities in the destination areas; providing education subsidies for families with many children or children in high school.
Pages: 67-72
Year: 2015 Issue: 2
Journal: Education & Economy
Keyword: parental migration; left-behind children; dropout; secondary school; high school;
Abstract: Based on the data of China Health and Nutrition Survey(CHNS), this paper analyzes the relationship between parental migration and left-behind children’s dropout from secondary and high school in Chinese rural areas. The results show that paternal migration will significantly reduce the probability of left-behind children’s dropout from both secondary and high schools, while maternal migration will largely increase the possibility of children’s dropout from secondary school. Moreover, our results confirm that the Free Compulsory Education Policy has in a large extent reduced the dropout ratio of the left-behind children, whereas parental education level is also highly connected to their children’s education acquisition, namely the higher level of education parents received, the lower possibility for children to drop out from schools. In addition, the number of children in the family and the opportunity costs of going to school have both contributed to a much higher dropout possibility. Thus, to reduce left- behind children’s dropout from school, the government should focus on: creating more local employment opportunities for migrant labors, especially the female ones;impelling the reform of household registration system to ensure that children can migrant with their parents and receive the same educational opportunities in the destination areas; providing education subsidies for families with many children or children in high school.
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