Impact of Migration on Children’s Cognitive Development and School Enrollment in China: A Comparison by Rural and Urban Origin

Zhen Liu , Brown University

Using the China Education Panel Survey, this study offers important insights on how children of urban origin might be affected in the era of massive migration and how the impact of parental migration and child migration on children’s cognitive development and school enrollment might vary by the children’s urban/rural origin. Although the impact of migration on children’s cognitive development is limited after adjusting for selection of migration, children left-behind, particularly those completely left-behind, are much more likely to drop out of junior high school compared to their counterparts in non-migrant families and those who migrate with their parents, regardless of urban/rural hukou type. The adverse impact of being left-behind is shown to be even stronger for children of urban hukou, as they are less likely to have extended family support networks and might be less adjusted to the migration culture prevalent in rural communities.

See paper

 Presented in Session 28. Urbanization and Urban Change