Parental Migration, Gender and Child Education in Ghana

This study employs longitudinal data to examine the self-reported grades in Science, English, and Mathematics, of Ghanaian boys and girls whose parents have migrated internally or internationally. Using a fixed-effects modeling approach, the analysis draws on information collected from 755 secondary school students surveyed as a panel in 2013, 2014, and 2015. The results show that boys with one or both parents away internationally tend to achieve grades equal to or higher than boys with non-migrant parents. In contrast, girls from migrant families generally exhibit no significant differences in grades when compared with girls with non-migrant parents. A critical risk factor identified is the negative impact of parental divorce or separation on the measured educational outcomes of children in migrant families.