Labor Migration and Children’s Educational Progression in Kyrgyzstan

Jennifer Glick, Pennsylvania State University
Zarmeen Salim, Pennsylvania State University

According to economic theories of labor migration, household migration exerts positive influence on children’s health and well-being via economic remittances. Yet, there is mixed evidence that labor migration boosts the human capital acquisition of children of migrants who remain in sending communities. This paper considers the complex relationship between migration from the household and children's education going beyond a simple measure of enrollment to address differential grade progression and attainment. By taking a life course perspective, we can shed light on the mixed results from prior research. We examine how migration may support children’s school enrollment and grade progression while also reducing academic attainment via early school leaving among adolescents. Recognizing that the impacts of migration may be particularly large for children and adolescents in contexts where economic development stalls and migrant remittances are a significant contributor to household survival, the analyses rely on longitudinal data from the Life in Kyrgyzstan (LiK) survey. Results indicate children’s educational trajectories are indeed negatively associated with labor migration from the household during adolescence with less impact on their progression earlier in school careers.

Keywords: Children, Adolescents, and Youth, International Migration, Human Capital, Education, and Work, Longitudinal studies

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