The Effect of the 1997 Compulsory Education Reform in Türkiye on Well-Being Indices of Adolescents Aged 13–17 through Parental Education

👩Higher Maternal Education

👥 Participation in Social Activities

▲ Positive Effect
  • Adolescents’ participation in social activities increases, strengthening social capital.

🏥 Health Status

▲ Positive Effect
  • The risk of chronic diseases decreases, while overall health improves. .

🏫 Access to Institutions

▲ Positive Effect
  • Households are more likely to choose residential locations closer to schools, libraries, and healthcare facilities

👷 Child Labor

▼ Decrease
  • The likelihood of working and total working hours decline
Policy Recommendation: Conditional social cash transfers and after-school support centers should be expanded.

👨 Increase in Paternal Education

🛡 School Safety

▲ Positive Effect
  • Negative experiences such as exclusion, bullying, and threats decrease.
Policy Recommendation: School-based violence prevention and psychosocial support programs should be expanded.

👨‍👩‍👧 Household Structure

▼ Decrease in Household Size
  • The number of siblings and household size decline.

💼 Labor Force Participation

▲ Increase
  • The spouse’s labor force participation increases.
Policy Recommendation: Education policies should be integrated with labor market policies. Childcare and after-school support should be provided for working parents.

🏙 Residential (Location) Preferences

▲ Proximity to Social Facilities
  • Households tend to prefer areas closer to schools, sports facilities, and social amenities
Policy Recommendation: Child-friendly urban planning and infrastructure investments in disadvantaged areas should be increased

📚 Overall Impact of Compulsory Education

▲ Parental education levels increase
Policy Recommendations: Girls’ school attendance and retention should be increased through scholarships, transportation support, and conditional cash transfers.

Educational policies, when integrated with social, health, and labor market policies, can contribute to a more inclusive and sustainable child well-being system in the long run.