Educational Wellbeing of the "Stay Children" of Migrants in China

Juhua Yang, People's University of China
Chengrong Duan, Renmin University of China

Large –scale labor migration in the past two decades in China has reshaped the household structure of migrants, generating the new phenomenon of “stay children” — children who stay at home with only one parent, other family members or alone when parent(s) are absent for over half year. Currently, approximately 7-8 millions of stay children live in nontraditional households without parental immediate care and guidance in everyday life. This would have profound implications for their wellbeing. This paper examines the educational wellbeing of stay children age 13-18. Using the 2000 Census and 2005 1% Population Survey, we explore the patterns and characteristics of stay children, and compare stay children with other children, in school enrollment and years of schooling. Preliminary results from multivariate models suggest that stay children have a lower educational opportunity than those who move with parents, but do not differ significantly from non-movers. Reasons for this pattern will be further explored in ongoing analysis.