Who Goes, Who Stays, and Who Studies? Gender, Migration, and Educational Decisions among Rural Youth in China

Abstract

Little is known about what affects the decision to migrate in China, despite the estimated 145 million rural migrants that reside in urban areas as of 2009. Drawing on a survey of youth from 100 villages in Gansu Province, we analyze migration and education decisions, with a focus on disparities associated with gender, sibship structure, and academic performance. Results show modest gender differences favoring boys in educational migration, but no gender differences in the overall likelihood of labor migration. Youth with older sisters are less likely to migrate, while youth with younger brothers are more likely to migrate. For girls, having older sisters is also negatively related to being a local or a migrant student, and better early academic performance is related to educational migration. For boys, labor migration may serve as a backup plan in the event of failing the high school entrance examination. Overall, results shed more light on the factors shaping educational migration than labor migration.

Transnational partnerships in higher education in China: The diversity and complexity of elite strategic alliances

“…Whiletheopen-doorpolicyhasenabledmorestudentsfromruralareasinChinatoaccess highereducation,researchshowsthatyoungpeoplefromruralareasareinamuchlessprivileged position in terms of education than those in urbanized areas, with access to the university entranceexamination,theGaokao,beingeasierforurbanpopulations (Chianget al,2015).The mosteliteuniversitiesareinthemosturbanizedandwealthyareasofthecountry,suggestingthe needforenforcedmobilityforpopulationsinruralareas (Yang,2014).Whileaccesstoeducation, particularlyschools,inruralareasofChinahasexpandedveryrapidlyinrecentyears (Chiang et al,2012),geographicmobilityandmigrationisseenasbeing'compulsory'foraccesstohighquality university education (Yang, 2014;Kong, 2010).The unequal spread of elite universities acrossthedifferentprovincesandregionsofChinamaythusplayaroleinthecontinuanceof inequality,althoughitisacknowledgedthatthismaybeattributedtoamuchbroaderrangeof complexsocial,cultural,political,andeconomicfactorsthanarecoveredinthisarticle. Itisimportanttonotethatthechangingrelationshipsandpartnershipsbetweenuniversities globallyisnotjustamatterofsystemsandinstitutionalcompetitionbutasMarginson(2014) notesithasanimpactonpeople'ssocialstatus,theireducationalaspirations,andtheirlivesmore broadly.AsYangpointsoutinthecontextofChina: thehierarchicalstructureoftheeducationalsystem,coupledwiththearduousyetcompulsory mobilityentailedineducationalparticipation,shapesthesocialandpoliticalimaginariesofcitizens livingintheperipherywhoseconnectionswiththecentralstateareotherwisetenuous.…”

Effect of Parental Seasonal Labor Migration on Children’s Care and Educational Performance in Rural Nepal

“…Students who migrated seasonally to earn money for their families failed examinations, missed out on upper-class admission, and became international labor migrants. Especially for boys, labor migration serves as a backup plan in the event of failing the high school examination (Chiang et al, 2012). When we inquired about school dropout, a school dropped-out person (Shyam,25 years), shares his story: "I followed my village friends to find a job as a laborer and worked for six months.…”

Analysis of Educational Migration Decision in Indonesia

“…Based on the statements above, this study is in line with the factors of personal consumption expenditure (PCE) by Octania and Yasa (2014), stating that the improvement of family welfare depends on their income. Further, Chiang et al, (2012) stated that the factor of gender identity and sibling structure could influence people's determination in educational migration. It is also supported by Nasibeh and Hossein's opinion that migration refers to the male phenomenon; meanwhile, only half of the females couldn't do migration movement (Nasibeh & Hossein, 2017).…”