Childhood Left-behind Experiences and Senior Secondary Education in China

Does Parental Domestic Labor Migration Lead to “Diverging Destinies”?

Abstract

    Previous studies have suggested that the trends in divorce and nonmarital childbearing show strong differences by education level. Specifically, individuals who de not have a college education are more likely to divorce or be involved in nonmarital childbearing. Further, individuals from single-parent families show lower levels of educational attainment. In China, a large number of children are left behind by one or both parents because of parental domestic labor migration than parental divorce, and individuals that are the least educated are predominantly those who have been involved in domestic labor migration. The aim of this study is therefore to identity whether the “left-behind” experience generates “diverging destinies” (McLanahan 2004) in China. Furthermore, we focus on the inequality of senior secondary education, as the academic path after senior secondary education determines the access to higher education and the future occupational status. Using survey data from the “China Family Panel Studies” (CFPS) and the propensity score matching approach, it was found that left-behind experiences have a strong negative effect on the senior secondary education academic track. This suggests a long-term negative effect on the life course of left-behind children.