Gender Differences in Childrens Schooling during the Industrialization Period: Korea from 1965 to 1994

This paper focuses on gender differences in schooling by school types and levels from 1965 to 1994, and examines four hypotheses explaining the trends. The findings show that all four factors examined-income levels, labor market returns, educational policy, and family changes-are relevant in explaining gendered patterns of schooling. Labor market returns, especially these returns right after graduation, are particularly important in influencing patterns of female schooling. For example, over the past few decades, rates of employment within one year of graduation were high for vocational high schools and junior colleges, and those were the schools where female enrollment fared well compared to male enrollment. Meanwhile, the main force determining male schooling appears to be high returns to college education, unaffected by yearly fluctuations in employment prospects or industrial structure. i