Single Mother Status and Children Education: Evidence from Indonesian Panel Data

This study explores children education of single mother households using panel data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS) wave 4 and 5 in 2007 and 2014. Using 7,324 children from single mother families in the age range of 6-15 years in IFLS 4 and the same children age 13-22 years in IFLS 5, estimate several children education outcomes such as: level of education, cognitive, grade repetition and possible working for pay. Apply probit and ordered probit, the results show that single mothers negatively affect children education outcomes. Children from single mother families have a lower probability of having a higher education level, have less score of cognitive assessment, more likely to repeat grade in school and join works for pay while school than those children from families with two parents. This study contributes to literature not only it investigate using longitudinal data but it also estimate several children educational outcomes of single mother households.