Children affected by labor migration in China: Can preschool education make a difference？

• In Event: Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Topic - Social Policy

Abstract

In China, the large number of rural-to-urban labor migration has directly resulted in 40 million young children left behind in rural areas without parental care (left-behind children), and six million children brought along with their migrating parents to cities (migrant children). These children’s development is of concern as the literature has documented the negative impacts of both conditions on child outcomes. Research also indicates that preschool education protects children from the negative influences of adverse early experiences. From 2010, there has been increased public support for left-behind and migrant children’s preschool attendance. This study examined the potential effects of early childhood migrant and left-behind experience on middle childhood developmental outcomes among rural Chinese children. We also explored whether preschool education moderated this association.
This study used data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), a longitudinal survey with a nationally representative sample. Participants were 1423 rural children surveyed during their early childhood (Time 1; mean of age was five years) and middle childhood (Time 2; mean of age was 12 years). At Time 1, 1102 children lived with both parents in rural areas, 189 were migrant children, and 132 were left behind in rural areas.
Primary caregivers provided child and family background information at Time 1 and Time 2 in individual interviews conducted over the phone or in face-to-face sessions. At Time 1, primary caregivers also indicated whether the child attended a preschool. At Time 2, children’s literacy and math skills were directly assessed and they responded to a 10-item scale of self-control (α = 0.79), a 10-item self-esteem scale (α = 0.71), and a 14-item scale measuring internal and external problem behaviors (α = 0.7). Preschool attendance rates were 74.86% for typical rural children, 88.36% for migrant children, and 63.34% for left-behind children. There were no significant differences in Time 1 and Time 2 variables of child age, ethnicity, gender, parent education, and household income, among the three groups of children.
Preliminary analyses were conducted using two-level linear modeling, taking into account the data structure of children nested within counties. As Table 1 shows, after controlling for a rich set of child and family characteristics, as compared to typical rural children, left-behind children showed lower literacy skills (β = -0.41, p < 0.001), more internalizing (β = 0.21, p = 0.028) and externalizing behavior problems at Time 2 (β = 0.22, p = 0.03). No evidence indicated the effect of migration on child outcomes. Preschool attendance was associated with higher literacy and math skills, but not non-cognitive outcomes. The associations among migrating experience, left-behind status and child outcomes were not moderated by preschool attendance.
The findings indicated that early childhood left-behind status negatively affects children’s cognitive and behavioural outcomes, while no evidence suggests impact of migrating to urban areas on children. Attending preschools seemed not to moderate the effect of left behind and migration on child outcomes. Potential explanations for the findings and implications for policy and education programs for children having migrant parents are discussed.

Author

• Yufen Su, The University of Hong Kong
  Presenting Author