The Impact of the 1997 Compulsory Education Reform on the Well-Being of Children Aged 6–13 through Parental Education

📌 Data Source

TURKSTAT Child Survey (2022)

👨‍👧Children aged 6-13

🎓 Policy Examined: The 1997 Compulsory Education Reform

👨 Increase in Paternal Education

🏥  1️⃣ Health Index

 Positive Effect

  • 🟢 Access to clean water
  • 🟢 Hygiene habits
  • 🟢 Dietary diversity
  • 🟢 Access to healthcare services
  • 🟢 Attention and behavioral control

Finding: Higher paternal education is associated with improvements in children’s health index.

🥗 2️⃣ Nutrition Indicators

Positive Effect

  • 🟢 Higher consumption of fruits and vegetables
  • 🟢 Higher consumption of milk and eggs
  • 🟢 Higher consumption of legumes, fish, and poultry
  • 🟢 Lower consumption of sweets and snacks

🧠 3️⃣ (Cognitive) Developmental Challenges Index

Reducing (Positive) Effect

  • 🟢 Reduced learning difficulties
  • 🟢 Reduced attention problems
  • 🟢 Reduced behavioral control problems
  • 🟢 Reduced social adjustment difficulties

This finding constitutes a novel contribution to the literature.

👨‍👩‍👧 4️⃣ Household Structure

Reducing Effect

  • 🟢 Smaller household size
  • 🟢 Fewer siblings

📌 Overall Conclusion

🎓 The 1997 Compulsory Education Reform has not only increased individual educational attainment but has also;

✔ Improved child health
✔ Enhanced nutritional quality
✔ Reduced developmental challenges
✔ Transformed household structure

Paternal education has a strong and multidimensional effect on child well-being.