Children´s living arrangements and schooling in Latin America and the Caribbean

• DeRose Laurie ^[1] ; Huarcaya Gloria ^[2]
  1. [1] University of Maryland, College Park

     University of Maryland, College Park

     Estados Unidos

     
  2. [2] Universidad de Piura

     Universidad de Piura

     Piura, Perú

     
• Localización: II International Conference Familiy and Society / Rita Cavallotti Oldani (ed. lit.), Consuelo León Llorente (ed. lit.), 2015, ISBN 978-84-606-8395-7, págs. 489-502
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto Completo Libro
• Resumen

  • We use Demographic and Health Survey data from 10 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to test whether family structure affects educational attainment from children between 11 and 14 years old, specifically in their secondary enrollment and educational progress. Most of the literature documenting that children living with both married biological parents have better educational outcomes, comes from Northern and developed countries, but in fact little is known about this relationship in the LAC region. Our model of logistic regression considers many variables from family structure (if children live with two, one or zero biological parents), household’s characteristics (residence by region, rural/urban localization, number of children, and others) and individual characteristics (age, gender) that might impact in secondary schooling. Even though, parental education and wealth have the greater impact on the probability of attending to school, we find a modest advantage for two-parent families. Living apart from both biological parents was associated with an educational significative disadvantage in five countries. Living with only one biological parent rather than two, was a significant disadvantage in the richer countries (Brazil, Colombia, and Peru) of this sample. Given the indicators of family structure for the LAC region (highest percen - tages for cohabitation and births outside marriage), we conclude, that family instability could affect economic growth; because, as this work demonstrates, children who grow up without their two biological parents are more likely to be out from secondary school or to be behind grade for age.