This study examines the educational consequences of the migration of parents on the children who are left behind in Fujian Province, China. Specifically, we compare the school enrollment of children from emigrant households with those from non-emigrant households. The data are drawn from the 1995 China 1% Population Sample Survey. We find consistent evidence that emigration affects the educational opportunity of the left-behind children in a positive way. First, children from emigrant households are more likely to be enrolled in schools than children from non-emigrant households. Second, emigration also has positive consequences in reducing the gender gap in education. While girls from non-emigrant households still experience a lower enrollment rate, the overall school enrollment for boys and girls from emigrant households has been approaching convergence.

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international migration education China convergence emigration Fujian Child Development gender disparity