Selected demographic variables affecting the educational attainment of children in the Philippines

This paper examines the determinants of educational attainment of children in the Philippines. The study uses merged data sets from the nationally-representative 2003 labor force and family income and expenditures survey. The highest grade attained of children aged 13-22, 17-22, and 21-22 for primary schooling, secondary schooling, and tertiary schooling, respectively are examined using ordered probit models that are buttressed by a diverse conceptual framework. Schooling attainment of males and females are also examined separately so as to shed light on the potential disparity between the education levels between sexes. Estimation results show that parental education has a positive and statistically significant effect on the educational attainment of children, and mother\u27s education has a stronger effect compared with father\u27s education. While an increase in permanent income of the household is not always associated with increased attainment, households still face severe resource constraints