Pathways to Education in Côte d’Ivoire: Risk, Resilience, and Caregiver Beliefs

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), nearly 20% of primary school-aged children are out-of-school (OOS; UNESCO, 2019), either having dropped out or never having enrolled (Inoue et al., 2015; Jasińska and Guei, 2022; Wortsman et al., 2024). While examining risks related to being OOS is crucial, identifying factors that help children at highest risk of being OOS remain enrolled (defined here as educational resilience) is equally important, yet understudied. We examined child- and caregiver-level risk and resilience factors associated with school enrollment of primary school-aged children in rural Côte d’Ivoire (N = 851, Mage= 9.14, SDage= 2.38). Older children (11- to 15-year-olds) who experienced a higher number of risk factors were more likely to be OOS. Specifically, older children who participated in child labor and those with lower socioeconomic status were at greater risk. Children who were at high risk of being OOS but remained enrolled (i.e., educationally resilient) were more likely to have caregivers who believed more strongly in teachers’ ability to impact educational outcomes. Results suggest that caregiver subjective beliefs may contribute to schooling decisions.