Household Decision-Making Process: It’s Effect on School Dropout Behavior for Girls in the Secondary School Level in Bangladesh

Abstract

This study aims to understand the parents' household decision-making process with respect to allowing girls to drop out of school, an area that has, thus far, been overlooked in the research regarding school dropouts. This paper has examined the household decision-making process between fathers and mothers and explores how their respective levels of participation affect on the educational outcome for girls. Data were collected in September 2010 from questionnaires administered to the parents of female students in the sub-district of Pirgonj in Bangladesh. The individual participation index (PI) of both the fathers and the mothers was estimated for four major household matters, and the bargaining level of fathers and mothers was measured by comparing the participation indices. Logistic regression was then conducted to examine how the participation levels of fathers and mothers predicted dropout outcomes for girls. The results show that mothers had less bargaining power than fathers in the decision-making process as the mean for the mother's participation index is found to be "rarely", while the father's index is found to be "very often" when using a 5-point Likert-typescale. In the logistic regression model, the participation levels of fathers and mothers indicate diverse effects on dropout outcomes in which the father's participation positively predicts the dropout outcome for girls and the mother's participation negatively predicts the dropout outcome for girls.

A systematic review of the literature on the causes of early school leaving in Africa and Asia

“…For instance, in African and Asian countries it is very common to live in a household without amenities like television, electricity, running water, toilet facilities, computer, telephones, fridge and vehicle (Farid‐ul‐Hasnain & Krantz, ; Flisher et al., ; Smits & Huisman, ) (Pakistan, South Africa, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen), which may add to a disadvantaged learning environment. Generally, parents may be willing to send their children to school but cannot do so owing to the inability to pay school fees, buy school materials or provide for children's safety (Biddlecom et al., ; Flisher et al., ; Zhao & Glewwe, ; Siddhu, ; Korinek & Punpuing, ; Yi et al., ; Sabates et al., ; Shahidul, ; Smits & Huisman, ; Polat, ; Banik & Neogi, ; Huisman & Smits, ; Zuilkowski et al., ) (Ghana, Burkina Faso, Malawi, Uganda, South Africa, China, India, Thailand, China, Bangladesh, Bangladesh, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen, Turkey, 30 developing countries, Kenya).…”

“…Besides this preference, the effect is more prevalent among selfemployed parents than among parents who are in paid employment (Shahidul, 510 M. S. M. Momo et al 2013). However, it was also shown that educated mothers show no preference and consider the education of both genders very important (Shahidul, 2013;Cemalcilar & Goken, 2014) (Bangladesh, Turkey). Zhao and Glewwe (2010) in China find mother's education significantly impacting the children's years of schooling positively.…”

Socioeconomic gradients in early childhood health: evidence from Bangladesh and Nepal

“…Interestingly, the strength of maternal education gradients decreases or disappears altogether in both countries once the model controls for father’s education. This might be explained by the fact that both Bangladesh and Nepal are patriarchal societies, and typically, the father commands a greater role in the decision making on household’s access to health care and nutrition [ 35 , 36 ]. Public health research is rich with studies that document such findings in the context of developing countries [ 37 ].…”

Is Mother’s Education or Household Poverty a Better Predictor for Girl’s School Dropout? Evidence from Aggregated Community Effects in Rural India

“…Girls living in disorderly neighbourhoods and norms experience deviant behaviour and possess negative attitudes towards education. A few studies have stressed the importance of combining parental contribution at the household level for school retention among adolescent girls [24][25][26]. However, limited research in India has examined exposure to community socioeconomic conditions for school dropouts of girls.…”