Female Labour Migration and Reported Educational Conditions of Children Left Behind: Evidence from Ja-Ela, Sri Lanka

Abstract

International labour migration represents a central livelihood strategy for millions of households in developing countries, generating remittance income while simultaneously raising concerns about the welfare of family members left behind. Despite growing recognition of these social consequences, localized evidence on the educational conditions of children in specific migrant-sending communities remains limited, particularly in the Sri Lankan context. This study examines reported changes in the educational conditions of children in households where mothers had migrated abroad for employment, with special reference to the Ja-Ela Divisional Secretariat area in the Gampaha District of Sri Lanka. A quantitative research approach was adopted using primary data collected through a structured questionnaire from 100 migrant households selected through a stratified sampling procedure from five Grama Niladhari divisions. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, frequency analysis, paired sample t-tests, and multiple regression analysis with SPSS and Microsoft Excel. The descriptive findings show a shift toward lower reported educational conditions following maternal migration, with the mean education score declining from 3.42 before migration to 2.92 after migration. However, the paired sample t-test results indicate that only school attendance showed a statistically significant difference before and after maternal migration, while health condition, study time, and overall educational condition did not reach statistical significance. Multiple regression analysis further showed that children's health condition, school attendance, study time, and mother's education level collectively explained 36.6 percent of the variation in children's post-migration educational conditions. The findings suggest that maternal migration is associated with reported changes in children's educational engagement, particularly school attendance, although the cross-sectional and retrospective research design does not permit direct causal inference. The results highlight the importance of community-level support, educational monitoring systems, and targeted family support mechanisms for children in migrant households.