Enrollment, Educational Expenditures and Work Among One-Parent Children in India

Abstract

In this study, I examined the effect of single parenthood due to death, separation, divorce, or migration of spouse on educational inputs among school-age children in India. I used the nationally representative India Human Development Survey to study the implications of different types of parenthood on educational expenditure among children ages 6 to 11 and 12 to 18 years and work participation among the older age group. The study finds that the separated or divorced mothers on average spend less on education and older children of widows are more likely to work because of resource constraints associated with single parenthood. The results highlight the need for public policies that would support widows as well as separated or divorced mothers.

KEYWORDS:

• child work
• educational inputs
• family structure
• IHDS
• Indian families
• single parent
• widowhood

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Presented in part at the “Growing up in One-Parent Families in Asia” conference, National University of Singapore, July 1–2, 2014.