The migratory effect on school attendance in Chile

Abstract

Migration implies an important challenge in the educational integration of foreign children and youth in the education system. Therefore, the objective of this article is to study the socioeconomic factors of the home that determine school attendance in Chile, as an essential factor for the integration of immigrants. For this, the quantitative method of estimating the probability of school attendance is applied. The results indicate that the variables that determine school attendance are age, nationality, type of home, area, educational level of the head of household and their working condition, poverty condition, among others. Evidence that the probability of attendance of a foreign child to attend is almost 11% less than that of a native child. Thus, the State should promote and guarantee universal coverage of the education of migrant children and young people, as an fundamental step for integration.