Gender gap in children's education in informal settlements

Decorative

CHE RESEARCH BITES

By Michelle Escobar Carias, Nicole Black, David Johnston et al.

04 April, 2025

Boys in disadvantaged communities in Indonesia and Fiji are falling behind girls academically, reflecting a trend now seen in many countries globally. A Monash University study surveyed over 1,400 children aged 5-15 living in 24 informal settlements between 2018 and 2021.

Researchers found that children spent about 28 hours weekly on educational activities – significantly less than prescribed by school schedules. However, boys averaged three hours less on education than girls. This gap wasn't due to boys working more; in fact, girls spent an extra hour weekly on unpaid labour, mostly caring duties.

Instead, boys spent more time playing outdoors, potentially exposing them to environmental hazards common in informal settlements, where approximately 350-500 million children worldwide live amidst poverty and various risks.

The study reveals a reversal of traditional education gender gaps, with boys now lagging behind girls in many high-income countries, a trend emerging in low- and middle-income nations as well.

These educational time investment patterns could have serious long-term consequences, as studies in other settings show boys who fall behind academically often face poorer job prospects and increased risks of substance abuse and criminal behaviour.

Researchers suggest raising awareness among parents about the importance of education time and implementing school or community mentoring programmes to address these gender gaps.

Find the original article here: Escobar Carías, M., Black, N., Johnston, D. et al. The gender gap in children’s educational time investments in informal settlements. Rev Econ Household (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11150-025-09772-7

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