Economic Survival or Educational Investment? Household Fishing Activities and School Participation in Cameroon

Abstract This study investigates the relationship between fishing activities and educational outcomes in Cameroon’s fishing communities, focusing on school dropout, enrollment rates, and academic performance. Fishing communities in Cameroon, predominantly composed of immigrants and internally displaced persons, face significant socio-economic challenges. Education is often deprioritised in favour of fishing, viewed as an immediate and sustainable livelihood. The study employs a mixed-method approach, with data collected from 511 households across 25 fishing communities in Cameroon. The Simple and Ordered Probit models are used to estimate the probability of school dropout and evaluate educational performance. The endogenous switching regression model is applied to address selection bias, while the Baron-Kenny mediation analysis investigates indirect effects of policy variables. The findings reveal a paradox where higher fishing income correlates with an increased likelihood of school dropout by 8% for every additional unit of income. This phenomenon occurs as households in fishing communities prioritise immediate economic returns from fishing over long-term investments in education. The trend is particularly pronounced among immigrant households, who exhibit a higher dropout probability (0.0855) compared to internally displaced Cameroonians (0.0249). However, households with diversified income streams and educated heads exhibit improved educational outcomes. Infrastructure variables such as mobile money usage, education infrastructure and network connectivity positively influence enrollment and performance, while transport infrastructure presents mixed effects, potentially facilitating the fishing trade over education. Policy recommendations focus on improving educational, communication, and transportation infrastructure and raising awareness about the importance of education. Special support programs targeting fishing-dependent households, particularly in marine environments, are crucial to reducing dropout rates and improving academic outcomes.