Journal of Education & Social Policy

Where Do You Dwell? Neighborhood as a Determinant of School Attendance in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Ariunaa Bayarsaikhan

Abstract
There is a strong positive association between educational attainment and health outcomes, and neighborhood and housing play central roles in relation to both. This study examined school attendance rates across housing types in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Based on literature establishing associations between neighbourhood deprivation and adverse health and educational outcomes, and on emerging scholarship of ger districts in Ulaanbaatar, the study hypothesized residence in ger districts (gers and family houses) would be associated with lower rates of school attendance. A chi-square test of homogeneity was conducted on dataset made available by UNICEF to examine group differences in school attendance within a sample of 2,827 young people between the ages of 6-18, across three housing types (gers, houses, apartments). Results indicate residence in ger districts is associated with lower rates of school attendance compared to residence in apartment districts. Policy implications include improvements in physical environment and public services in ger districts.

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