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Senior high school enrollment of migrant children in China: The role of relocation

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Listed:
  • Liu, Xiangbo
  • Fu, Weihao
  • Song, Yueping

Abstract

The education of migrant children is a significant concern in China, yet their access to post-compulsory education remains poorly understood. Leveraging nationally representative longitudinal data and a quasi-experimental design with random classroom assignment, this study first reveals that migrant children exhibit a 6.6 percentage-point higher senior high school enrollment rate compared to their local peers within the same classroom. This counterintuitive phenomenon stems from the institutional arbitrage: by relocating to their hukou-registered locations to take the entrance examination, migrant children combine the advantages of higher-quality junior high education in urban destinations with lower admission thresholds in their hometowns. Policy implications suggest that merely loosening examination restrictions risks incentivizing speculative educational migration. Instead, systemic reforms, such as equitable resource redistribution, are critical to addressing the root causes of educational inequality.

Suggested Citation

  • Liu, Xiangbo & Fu, Weihao & Song, Yueping, 2025. "Senior high school enrollment of migrant children in China: The role of relocation," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:asieco:v:100:y:2025:i:c:s1049007825001290
    DOI: 10.1016/j.asieco.2025.102005
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers

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