Regular and irregular international migration of parent(s): the experiences of left-behind Children in Accra and Sunyani

Abstract

This study sought to examine the extent to which international migration of parent(s) impacts on children left-behind, with specific reference to their educational performance. The study adopted a mix of both quantitative and qualitative approaches through the use of questionnaire and in-depth interviews as the main instruments of data gathering. This study involved 227 participants and respondents comprising 213 basic school children from both migrant and non-migrant households, 8 basic school teachers and 6 caregivers of children left behind in Accra and Sunyani. The ages of the children involved in the study ranged from 10 to 16 years. The findings of the study revealed that, in the Ghanaian context, the effects of parental migration on children, whether desirable or undesirable depended on other factors such as living arrangement, care and support that the children receive, the migration status of the parent(s) other than the mere parental separation.