Statut familial et inégalités face à la scolarisation à Madagascar

The impact of family status in Madagascar on inequalities in schooling – In this article, in the context of generalised access to primary education and parity between girls and boys, we analyse data from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) 2009 in Madagascar to examine inequalities in schooling related to children’s status in the family. The results confirm the protective benefit for children of living with their biological parents. Fostered children are disadvantaged, especially and increasingly so depending on whether they live with an uncle or aunt, with a distant relative or a non-relative. Conversely, children who reside in the home of a brother or sister are not disadvantaged, a result which reflects the role of elder children in family education strategies. Grandparents play a moderately positive role in schooling. The death of the father is an important factor in dropping out. Finally, children whose parent or parents are not household heads are disadvantaged in terms of schooling compared to children of household heads.