Does less workload lead to more family educational care? Evidence from rural China

Abstract

ABSTRACT Based on the theory of work – family balance, this paper employs a two-way fixed-effects model to explore the relationship between agricultural mechanization and investment in children’s education. The findings indicate that a county-level increase in the level of mechanization can stimulate financial and time investments in children’s education. Further heterogeneity analysis suggests that this impact is more pronounced on girls and primary school-aged children. The findings imply that reducing the labour burden on farmers will enable them to focus more on caring for their children.