Children's School Transitions in Mexico and the Human Capital of Parents and Grandparents: a Multigenerational Perspective

This study examines how parental and grandparental human capital influence children’s educational transitions in Mexico, a country with high income inequality and low intergenerational mobility. Using nationally representative longitudinal data from the Mexican Family Life Survey, we analyze how formal education, height, and cognitive ability affect three key school transitions: from primary to lower secondary, from lower to upper secondary, and from upper secondary to graduation. Employing a life course and multigenerational framework, we estimate sequential logit models that incorporate child characteristics—cognitive ability and height-for-age—measured before the first transition. Results show that early cognitive ability and physical development are strong predictors of educational progression. Maternal education has a particularly strong effect on early transitions, while grandparental education remains a significant predictor of the first transition even after controlling for parental traits and household wealth. These findings underscore the value of early childhood investments and the importance of a multigenerational approach to educational mobility.