APL (Ajiken Power Lunch)

Thursday, 25th of September, 11:00 to 12:15

IDE-JETRO C23 Meeting Room 　

Parental labor migration—whether rural-to-urban or international—has been widely studied in relation to children’s education. However, empirical evidence on learning outcomes remains limited in low- and lower-middle-income countries due to data constraints. This study examines the association between parental migration and children’s learning outcomes in Bangladesh, using data from the 2019 UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS6). We investigate whether remittance-related income effects improve learning, or whether parental absence adversely affects outcomes due to reduced supervision or emotional strain. Learning outcomes are measured via reading and numeracy assessments, complemented by psychological indicators such as depression and anxiety. Migration is categorized into four types: international or domestic migration by either parent. Control variables include child and household demographics and maternal education. The sample includes approximately 20,000 children aged 7–14. OLS results show that international paternal migration is positively associated with all children’s numeracy scores and boys’ reading scores, while international maternal migration is negatively associated with boys’ numeracy and girls’ reading scores. Maternal international migration is also linked to increased child depression. Domestic migration has no significant effect. We address endogeneity using matching methods.

Dr Mai Seki (Gakushuin University)

Ian Coxhead