Household characteristics and delayed school enrollment in Malawi

Malawi was the first country after the Jomtien conference to offer free primary education. Despite this policy, universal education has remained elusive. Many children do enroll in school, but not at the official/recommended age and drop out before completing school. Understanding these transition points – entry and completion – is critical to the achievement of universal education. This paper focuses on one of these transition points – entry. Since households determine the timing and duration of schooling, this study examines 3290 households to explore the characteristics associated with delayed school enrollment. The study finds that the survival of the mother, female headship, and the head's level of education, are associated with a lower probability of delayed enrollment.