Presentation given at Gendered dimensions of migration: Material and social outcomes of South-South migration. 30 June - 2 July 2015 at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore http://migratingoutofpoverty.dfid.gov.uk/research/womenandchildren/gendered_dimensions

1. Background
Methods
Results
Conclusions
Father’s Migration and its Impact on
Child Educational Inputs in India
Dhiman Das
Asia Research Institute,
National University of Singapore
July 1, 2015

2. Background
Methods
Results
Conclusions
Motivation
Relations
Research Questions
Migration and Poverty in India
◮ Increasing prevalence of migration
◮ Gender inequality in education
Migration out of Poverty ?
Father’s Migration and Child Educational Inputs 1 of 13

3. Background
Methods
Results
Conclusions
Motivation
Relations
Research Questions
Relations
Fathers migration
◮ Increase in household resources
◮ Increase in resource allocation towards “child goods”
through higher autonomy of mothers
◮ Parental migration may increase probability of future
migration and motivate investment in human capital
Father’s Migration and Child Educational Inputs 2 of 13

4. Background
Methods
Results
Conclusions
Motivation
Relations
Research Questions
Relations
Fathers migration
◮ Increase in household resources
◮ Inadequate remittances
◮ Alternative use of remittances
◮ Increase in resource allocation towards “child goods”
through higher autonomy of mothers
◮ Autonomy may increase own consumption
◮ Autonomy may be affected by living arrangements
◮ Parental migration may increase probability of future
migration and motivate investment in human capital
◮ Outcome may depend on the nature of migrant employment
Father’s Migration and Child Educational Inputs 2 of 13

5. Background
Methods
Results
Conclusions
Motivation
Relations
Research Questions
Research Questions
◮ Does father’s migration has a significant effect on child’s
i. enrollment and work
ii. educational expenditure
◮ Does the effect vary by gender of the child
Father’s Migration and Child Educational Inputs 3 of 13

6. Background
Methods
Results
Conclusions
Data
Analytical Strategy
Data
◮ Household survey data: India Human Development Survey
(2004-05)
◮ School quality data: District Information System for
Education (2004-05)
◮ District developmental indicators: Census of India (2001)
Father’s Migration and Child Educational Inputs 4 of 13

7. Background
Methods
Results
Conclusions
Data
Analytical Strategy
Dependent variable: Enrollment-Work pattern
Outcome: Enrolled, Not Work; Enrolled, Work;
Not Enrolled, Not Work; Not Enrolled, Work
Method: Ordered Probit
Inependent variable: Expenditure conditional on Enrollment
Outcome: Expenditure conditional on enrollment
Method: Two part model
◮ First part: Estimation of decision to enroll using Probit
◮ Second part: Estimation of expenditure conditional on
enrollment using the logarithm of expenditure using
Generalized Linear Models
Father’s Migration and Child Educational Inputs 5 of 13

8. Background
Methods
Results
Conclusions
Data
Analytical Strategy
Independent variables
◮ Father’s migrant status
◮ Child Controls: Child gender, Child gender-Father’s migrant
status interaction, Age, Birth order
◮ Household controls: Social group of household head, Highest
level of education among adults (including migrant father)
◮ Local controls: District level urbanization, Female literacy
rates and Student-Classroom ratio.
Endogenity
Propensity Score Stratification
(Rosenbaum & Rubin, Biometrika, 1983; JASA, 1984).
Father’s Migration and Child Educational Inputs 6 of 13

9. Background
Methods
Results
Conclusions
Data
Analytical Strategy
−0.01
0.07
−0.05
−0.04
−0.20
−0.02
0.01
Father’s
Age
Father’s
Educ.
HH: Size
Soc Network
Knows
Soc Network
Membership
District:
% urban
District:
% Literate
−0.30 −0.20 −0.10 0.00 0.10
0.17
0.12
−0.27
0.48
0.03
SocialGroups
OBC
Scheduled
Caste
Scheduled
Tribes
Muslim
Others
−0.50 0.00 0.50
Figure 1: Coefficients and 95% confidence intervals for factors affecting father’s
migration (Full Sample, N=24,319)
Father’s Migration and Child Educational Inputs 7 of 13

10. Background
Methods
Results
Conclusions
Weighted Means
Enrollment-work
Expenditure
5060708090
All Male Female All Male Female
6−11 12−18
Enrollment Enrollment
Non−Migrant Migrant
Graphs by agegrp
7501,2501,7502,250
All Male Female All Male Female
6−11 12−18
Expenditure Expenditure
Non−Migrant Migrant
Graphs by agegrp
1520253035
All Male Female
Work Participation (12−18)
Non−Migrant Migrant
Figure 2: Enrollment, educational expenditure and work, by father’s migration status
Father’s Migration and Child Educational Inputs 8 of 13

11. Background
Methods
Results
Conclusions
Weighted Means
Enrollment-work
Expenditure
0.03
0.01
0.03
0.03
0.03
0.03
0.02
0.01
0.01
0.01
0.01
0.02
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
−0.06
−0.02
−0.04
−0.04
−0.04
−0.05
Father
Migrant
Female
Child
−0.10−0.05 0.00 0.05−0.10−0.05 0.00 0.05−0.10−0.05 0.00 0.05−0.10−0.05 0.00 0.05
N Enrol, Y Work N Enrol, N Work Y Enrol, Y Work Y Enrol, N Work
Full Sample Rural Rural−Disadvantaged
Figure 3: Marginal effects and 95 % conf. intervals of father’s migration and child’s
gender on enrollment-work pattern(12-18)(N: FS=20,381; RS=13,375; RDS=9,206)
Father’s Migration and Child Educational Inputs 9 of 13

12. Background
Methods
Results
Conclusions
Weighted Means
Enrollment-work
Expenditure
−.10.1
Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
N Enrol, Y Work N Enrol, N Work Y Enrol, Y Work Y Enrol, N Work
Full Sample Rural Rural−Disadvantaged
Figure 4: Marginal effects and 95 % confidence intervals of father’s migration on
enrollment-work pattern, by child’s gender(12-18)
Father’s Migration and Child Educational Inputs 10 of 13

13. Background
Methods
Results
Conclusions
Weighted Means
Enrollment-work
Expenditure
137
−194
291
−150
287
−130
42
−289
191
−280
195
−265
Father
Migrant
Female
Child
−400 −200 0 200 400 −400 −200 0 200 400
Age: 6−11 Age: 12−17
Full Sample Rural Rural−Disadvantaged
Figure 5: Marginal effects and 95 % confidence intervals of father’s migration and
child’s gender on educational expenditure, by age-group
Father’s Migration and Child Educational Inputs 11 of 13

14. Background
Methods
Results
Conclusions
Weighted Means
Enrollment-work
Expenditure
−50005001000
Male Child Female Child Male Child Female Child
Age: 6−11 Age: 12−17
Full Sample Rural Rural−Disadvantaged
Figure 6: Marginal effects and 95 % confidence intervals of father’s migration on
enrollment-work pattern, by child’s gender and age-group
Father’s Migration and Child Educational Inputs 12 of 13

15. Background
Methods
Results
Conclusions
Limitations & Conclusions
Limitations
◮ Migration process (e.g. international or internal, duration of migration,
quantity and the quality of visits) could not be fully addressed
◮ Propensity score matching fails to account for unobservable factors
◮ Child and household level unobservable characteristics may affect outcome
◮ Cross-sectional data may be inadequate to capture causality
Conclusions
◮ Father’s migration has a positive effect on educational expenditures
among the 6-11 age group.
◮ Among the 12-18 age group, father’s migration positively affects
expenditure only for the male child and has significant adverse effect on
enrollment-work pattern of the girl child.
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