Migration and the Schooling of Left-Behind Children in China

Lin Guo, University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY)

The rise of internal migration in China has drawing concerns about the well-being of their children who are left behind in their hometowns. This article, using three most recent waves of CHNS data, tries to investigate the schooling situation of migrants’ left-behind children and compare them with children who are living with both parents at home. Results show that the school enrollment situation of left-behind children age 6-14 is as high as other children, but this rate drops fast for children age 15 or older. On the other hand, cross-sectional analysis reveals that in 2004, left-behind children are more likely to be delayed in their school progress, others equal. Both the longitudinal analysis and the cross-sectional analysis show that familial socioeconomic status is closely related to the schooling of children. In addition, children’s schooling also varies by provinces.