Children on the move. Rural-urban migration and access to education in Mongolia
This paper discusses rural-urban migration in Mongolia by focusing on children who migrate with their families and those who are left behind in rural areas. The central questions of the study are how and why migration can improve children's access to education. The research combines analyses of both quantitative and qualitative data. The results demonstrate that most children migrate at the same time as their family members. However, other children move ahead of their families in order to attend school, while others are left behind when one or both parents move to an urban area. Nearly one-third of households state that education is the most important reason to undertake migration. Secondly, the study describes the situation of migrant children and families in areas of high in-migration, such as Ulaanbaatar, Erdenet, Selenge and Kherlen Soum not just in terms of children's access to education but also takes into account their perception of the quality of education they receive in comparison to that of long-term residents. Thirdly, the study analyses the situation of children and their families left behind in the areas of high out-migration, e.g. Zavkhan, Khalkhol, Erdenedalai and Bayankhairkhan by considering the effects migration has on these children. It demonstrates that the situation of significant numbers of families in areas of high out-migration is difficult and has not substantially improved over the last few years. The poverty experienced by families reduces the opportunities for some children to study, forcing them to drop out of school.
The paper claims that the policy responses to such a situation are not just education sector specific. They require an inclusive approach to poverty reduction planning more generally, with a focus on the most marginalised and those who are not benefiting. The combination of policies and interventions include:
- Targeted measures aimed at getting marginalised children into school and poor and marginalised families out of poverty
- Sector policies and investment to achieve improved service delivery in all areas, including declining rural areas of high out-migration and overcrowded urban areas
- Economic policies that promote poor families' livelihoods, especially those of poor migrant families as part of a broad strategy of more equitable regional development that should prevent some families from moving for economic reasons.