Abstract
We study household and context determinants of school dropout using data for 130,000 children in 363 regions of 30 developing countries using multi-level discrete-time event-history analysis. Most (72%) of the variation in school dropout is due to household-level factors, with socioeconomic resources (parental education, father’s occupation, and wealth) being most important. Household structure plays a role too. Earlier born, non-biological children and children living with one parent drop out more. Important context factors are educational resources (availability of schools and teachers) and level of development of the region. Interaction analysis reveals that many effects of household-level factors depend on context characteristics, stressing the importance of a situation-specific approach. Results also indicate that the transition from primary to secondary education is a major breaking point in children’s educational careers and that extending the duration of primary education might be an effective strategy to keep children in school longer.
Highlights
Education is a powerful means to reduce poverty and achieve economic growth (Breton, 2004; Mankiw, Romer, & Weil, 1992)
The second hypothesis we will test in this article is on structure. This structure hypothesis predicts that in households and contexts where the structure is such that children can benefit more from the available socioeconomic and educational resources and from going to school, children are less likely to drop out of school
85.7 significantly with sex, separate coefficients for boys and girls are presented; otherwise, a general coefficient is presented under “All.” Our analyses show that of the total variance in educational participation, 72% is explained at the household level, 23% at the district level, and 5% at the national level
Summary
Education is a powerful means to reduce poverty and achieve economic growth (Breton, 2004; Mankiw, Romer, & Weil, 1992). It empowers people, improves individuals’ earning potential, promotes a healthy population, is a major determinant of democracy, and builds a competitive economy (Castelló-Climent, 2008; Hannum & Buchmann, 2005; Hanushek & Wössmann, 2007; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], 2015; The World Bank, 2006). Since the start of the Education for All (EFA) campaign after the World Education Forum in Jomtien in 1990, remarkable progress has been made in getting young children in developing countries into primary education. It is of prime importance to get a better understanding of the factors that drive the decision to drop out of school in developing countries
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