Journal Article
Migration and school flow of the 2008-2019 cohort of students in Minas Gerais
Brazilian Journal of Population Studies, 1–25 (2024)
Abstract
Student migration is an important phenomenon that can have implications for educational outcomes. Few studies have evaluated its influence on academic outcomes, particularly in the context of developing countries. This study examines the relationship between migration and the school flow of the cohort of students from Minas Gerais enrolled in the first year of elementary school in 2008. Using longitudinal data from school censuses from 2008 to 2019, we compare the regularity of the school flow between migrant and non-migrants. The findings reveal a slight difference in the regularity of the school flow between non-migrants and migrants prior to migration. However, post-migration, the school flow of migrants becomes more irregular, except in cases where migrations coincide with school-level transitions. In particular, migration during the transition to secondary school shows strong positive selectivity beforehand and little variation afterward, suggesting migration may be driven by investing in education. These results underscore the importance of considering migration in studies on educational outcomes and highlight the benefits of longitudinal analysis for demographic studies.
Keywords: Brazil, migration, school success