The Effect of Maternal Education on Parenting and Early Childhood Development: An Instrumental Variables Approach

Maternal education is often considered an important determinant of children’s early development. However, there is little empirical evidence on whether it is maternal education that contributes to better developmental outcomes or other ecological factors that relate to both education and children’s development. This study used data on 4,874 mother–child (M_age = 47.7 months) dyads from Uganda of the 2016 Demographic and Health Survey to assess the effects of maternal education on parenting and children’s development. Taking advantage of a natural experiment with an instrumental variables approach, the study identified positive causal impacts of maternal schooling on children’s development. Additional years of schooling also increased maternal engagement in stimulating activities, children’s attendance to early childhood education programs, and reduced harsh corporal punishment. A mediation analysis suggested that increases in maternal stimulation and children’s attendance to early childhood education programs and reductions in harsh corporal punishment partially explain the effects of maternal education on children’s development. The positive impacts of education on parenting and child development indicate the need for more efforts to expand access to education in Uganda and other low- and- middle-income countries, including the abolishment of school fees for primary education.