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Quality of migrant schools in China: evidence from a longitudinal study in Shanghai

Author

Listed:
  • Yuanyuan Chen

    (Shanghai University of Finance and Economics)

  • Shuaizhang Feng

    (Jinan University)

Abstract

As spaces in public schools are limited, a substantial number of migrant children living in Chinese cities but without local hukou are enrolled in private migrant schools. This paper studies the quality of migrant schools using data collected in Shanghai in 2010 and 2012. Although students in migrant schools perform considerably worse than their counterparts in public schools, the test score difference in mathematics has almost been halved between 2010 and 2012, due to increased financial subsidy from the government. We rule out alternative explanations for the convergence in test scores. We also conduct a falsification test and find no relative changes in the performance of migrant school students based on a follow-up survey of a new cohort of students in 2015 and 2016, a period with no changes in financial subsidies to migrant schools.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuanyuan Chen & Shuaizhang Feng, 2017. "Quality of migrant schools in China: evidence from a longitudinal study in Shanghai," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 30(3), pages 1007-1034, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jopoec:v:30:y:2017:i:3:d:10.1007_s00148-016-0629-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s00148-016-0629-5
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    Cited by:

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    7. Lin, Carl & van der Meulen Rodgers, Yana, 2018. "Parental Migration Decisions and Child Health Outcomes: Evidence from China," IZA Discussion Papers 11986, IZA Network @ LISER.
    8. Li, Lingfang(Ivy) & Wu, Yuting & Zhu, Xun & Chu, Rongwei & Hung, Iris W., 2024. "Job changing frequency and experimental decisions: A field study of migrant workers in the manufacturing industry," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
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    10. Chen, Yuanyuan & Feng, Shuaizhang, 2019. "The education of migrant children in China's urban public elementary schools: Evidence from Shanghai," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 390-402.
    11. Xiaodong Zheng & Yanran Zhou, 2024. "Are migrants a threat? Migrant children and human capital investments among local households in urban China," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-14, December.
    12. Zhang, Haifeng & Zang, Lijun & Mao, Mingzhi & Guo, Jiqiang & Wang, Chunchao, 2023. "The externalities of preschool attendees in middle school classes," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    13. Ma, Chuan & Wang, Desheng, 2025. "The educational inequality faced by Chinese rural migrant children in an urban public school," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    14. Menghan Shen & Zhiwei Tang & Xiaoxia Liang & Xiaoyang Ye, 2025. "Migrant children's take‐up of social health insurance: Experimental evidence from China," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(2), pages 456-482, March.
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    16. Dong, Yiming, 2024. "The doubly vulnerable on the move: Educational situation of ethnic minority migrant children in urban China," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
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    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I22 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Educational Finance; Financial Aid
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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