Access to quality education is one of the key factors that drive people to migrate to seek better job opportunities and transform their lives. Does higher education impact other emigration factors and influence the decision to leave a particular country?

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One of the key reasons behind millions of people migrating from Central America and Mexico to the United States is education. While education isn’t always the primary reason, it cannot be ignored. Higher education leads to more economic opportunities. And more economic opportunities result in higher incomes and better lifestyles. Higher education leads to better job prospects and economic stability. When college students don’t have an opportunity to study or complete their education, the consequences can be profound. And in most instances, they are irreversible.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

While school enrollment rates have increased in the last few years in Central America and Mexico, the result of improved education systems has affected other important factors. And this has led to higher school dropout rates. For instance, in Mexico, more than 90 percent of kids attend elementary school. However, by middle school, the attendance rate drops to 62 percent. Only 45 percent of learners’ complete high school.

More than 50 percent of the learners in Central America who use a reputable writing tool and read unique immigration essay examples regularly are at risk of dropping out of school. Also, the majority of students who don’t access a useful essay paper site start lagging behind their respective grade levels. 50 percent of ten-year-olds are one or two years behind. And this leads to discouragement and high dropout rates.

Stats about emigration rates are mind-blowing. A research study conducted by Pew Research Center found out that 49 percent of Central American emigrants and 57 percent of Mexican emigrants don’t complete high school. Compared to other regions like the Middle East, South Asia, Europe, South America, and Sub-Saharan Africa, immigrants had non-completion rates ranging from eleven to sixteen percent.

Individuals born in the United States had only 9 percent. When it comes to higher education, nine percent of Central Americans and six percent of Mexicans migrating to the United States had college degrees. Emigrants from other parts of the world had rates ranging from 31 to 51 percent. Individuals born in the US had a rate of 31 percent.

Determining Factors

In Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador, education is free. Regardless of this fact, learners are not always able to make the most out of their right to education. It’s quite difficult to separate various threads that lead to the attainment of low education since they are usually interrelated. However, the biggest obstacle is poverty. Going to school comes with a wide range of additional costs that are not covered by charity organizations and governments. They include books, uniforms, transportation, and additional fees imposed by the learning institution.

Additionally, families can lose job opportunities if they decide to keep children who can work and contribute to the family’s income in school. According to the Department of Labor, 34 percent of working learners in Honduras complete elementary school. Throughout Central America and Mexico, children who work end up dropping out of school. And this leads to hard times not only for them but also for their families in the future.

These issues are quite prevalent in rural areas across the world. Millions of indigenous people earn less than a dollar a day. The majority indulge in agricultural activities and they are teenagers. Apart from additional transportation costs to attend the nearest learning institution, most tutors are posted in big towns. Indigenous students have to deal with language barriers and discrimination from other students and teachers.

In areas where gang violence is prevalent, learners have to face the risk of going to school unharmed especially if the gang members have targeted their loved ones. Additionally, schools are the main recruitment grounds for dangerous gangs. Poverty, gang violence, and poor job prospects are other factors that increase emigration rates.

Conclusion

These inter-related and multi-faced conditions lead to scenarios that increase migration rates. Higher education is a major cause because lack of education often leads to poverty. Today, most organizations require at least a high school diploma to make hiring decisions. And the majority of applicants aren’t qualified to get the job. Emigrations rates can be reduced by the intervention of government and the creation of programs that lead to better prospects for the unfortunate. Governments need to provide access to health care, housing, and clean water. By investing in their own countries, governments can encourage international investors to invest in their countries to increase job opportunities and improve the livelihood of their citizens.

Author’s Bio:

Robert Griffith works as an online tutor with his main audience as students from schools and colleges. He teaches them to write, edit and proofread and communicate effectively to ensure career success. His free time is for glass painting, meditating, and jogging in the park.