An analysis of the relationship between parental and children’s educational attainment in Khmer households

Abstract

Education plays an important role in elevating individual income and has long been a main target of numerous socioeconomic policies. Beyond its direct impact on personal income, education also exerts intergenerational effects. This study examines the relationship between the educational attainment of parents and that of their children in Khmer households within the Mekong delta using data from Vietnam Household Living Standards Surveys in 2018 and 2020. A logistic regression model was employed to estimate the effect of parental education on the likelihood that the child attains a university degree or higher. The findings reveal that the likelihood of the children having a university degree relies heavily on the levels of education attained by both parents. The probability of an individual obtaining a university degree is 20.26% if the father has a university education, and this probability is reduced by half if the father’s education is limited to upper secondary school. At the same time, the positive influence of the father’s education on the child’s educational attainment becomes more pronounced in households where the mother is highly educated than in those where the mother has a lower level of education. These findings provide compelling evidence that educational promotion policies within the Khmer community not only benefit the direct recipients but also generate intergenerational spillover effects.