Abstract/Summary

In development economics, socio-economic mobility is frequently regarded as being intrinsically connected to the principle of equal opportunity. This connection has sparked considerable research suggesting that socio-economic mobility plays a vital role in societal progress. By examining mobility, researchers can gauge how individuals may ascend or descend along economic or social hierarchies, offering insights into the dynamics of opportunity within a society. Through three distinct studies, this thesis adds to this literature by investigating intergenerational educational mobility in Botswana. Specifically, the first study lays a foundation by examining the relationship between parental education and children's educational attainment, including an analysis of gender and regional differences. The second study investigates three-generational educational mobility by analysing how grandparents' education affects their grandchildren's educational achievements, while also evaluating the impact of grandparents co-residency and regional differences. Finally, the third study investigates the effects of parental participation in the destitution programme on children's educational attainment, analysing variations across different policy periods and geographical locations. The first study utilises data from the 2015 Botswana Multi-Topic Household Survey focusing on adult children aged 25-48 (linked to their parents education information), and employs intergenerational regression coefficients to measure educational persistence, alongside correlation coefficients and probability transition matrices to analyse educational mobility. The second study uses primary data from 1986 individuals across 273 families in nine locations in Botswana, targeting adult children aged 18-48, and similarly employs regression based analysis to measure educational persistence while examining gender and regional differences. The third study also utilises primary data from the same sample, focusing on the impact of parental participation in the destitution programme on children's educational outcomes, and its effects on intergenerational educational mobility In the first study, a notable relationship between parental education and children's educational outcomes is identified, with an IGRC of 0.568 indicating substantial educational persistence. Gender disparities emerge, with daughters demonstrating a higher sensitivity to parental education than sons. The analysis highlights that educational persistence is stronger in rural areas compared to urban settings. For the second study, there is also significant intergenerational educational persistence between children and parents (IGRC of 0.579), consistent with other developing nations. Notably, grandparents' education has a positive influence on grandchildren's educational attainment, with an IGRC estimate of 0.179. Further, grandfathers have a greater influence on grandsons, while grandmothers positively affect granddaughters. Additionally, maternal education shows a stronger correlation with children's education than paternal education. The analysis reveals regional differences, with grandparents' education exerting a stronger influence in rural areas (0.197) compared to urban areas (0.135). The residency status of grandparents is crucial; co-resident grandparents significantly enhance grandchildren's educational outcomes, particularly for granddaughters. In the third study, participation in the destitution programme is found to be associated with lower educational attainment for children compared to children of non-destitutes parents, especially for those in rural areas. Together, these studies underscore the roles of family structure, gender, regional context, and socio-economic policies in shaping educational mobility, contributing valuable perspectives for educational and social policy in Botswana. This research contributes by filing a research gap by addressing educational mobility in a Sub-Saharan African country’s varied urban and rural contexts, where limited research exists. By examining educational mobility across three generations using original data collected on both maternal and paternal grandparents, this research provides insights that are especially relevant in the African context, where extended families frequently live together. This research offers a unique perspective on multigenerational educational mobility, which is often overlooked in existing studies that primarily focus on two-generation analyses within developed countries. The third study provides a novel look at how a social protection programme, not designed for educational outcomes, may impact educational mobility in impoverished families.