Single Parenthood and Children’s Education in Republic of Korea: An Update

Abstract

The increase in divorce in Korea during the last two decades raises a concern for intergenerational transmission of disadvantage through family instability. The implications of this for children’s education may be particularly significant in the Korean context where public support for single-parent families and women’s (including single mothers) economic opportunities are considerably limited. Following the approach of Park (Demographic Research 18, 377–408, 2008) who distinguished single-parent families by gender of single parent and causes of single parenthood, in this study I examine how children across different types of single-parent families fare, in comparison to their peers from two-parent families, on three pivotal outcomes of education: transition from middle school to academic high school, transition from high school to university (not including 2-year junior college), and test scores on mathematics and Korean language among middle school students. Consistent with Park’s (2008) study, the result of the current study shows poorer educational outcomes of students living with a divorced parent (particularly father) than their peers with two parents. But, single parenthood due to the death of a parent does not seem to impart a considerable disadvantage. The implications of these findings for educational policies are discussed.