What Happens to the Learning Outcomes of Left‐Behind Children When Parents are Away? Evidence From Four Pacific Island Countries

ABSTRACT Parentsʼ migration that leaves their children behind can have a large influence on their children. We explore the relationship between parental migration and learning outcomes of left‐behind children aged 7–14 in Pacific Island Economies, particularly Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, and Tonga, comparing children who live without at least one parent due to migration and children who live with both parents. We use propensity score matching on the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 6 data. We observe mixed findings of parental migration on childrenʼs learning outcomes, depending on the country, family structure, and gender. Our results show no significant differences between children of migrants and non‐migrants in Fiji, Kiribati, and Tonga. In Samoa, children of migrants have significantly higher reading skills but struggle in mathematics. Samoaʼs strong extended family system appears to provide compensatory caregiving and educational support in the absence of parents. We also find that the effects in Samoa are isolated among girls. The role of extended family support, cultural norms, and gender dynamics are critical to understanding the findings. These insights have important implications for policies aiming to support left‐behind children and leverage migration for human capital development.