Education Induced Rural to Urban Migration and Its Socioeconomic Impact on Rural households: The Case of Kiramu Woreda

Abstract

Rural to urban migration is the most frequent form of internal migration which has been taking place since long time. It can be ignited by different push and pull factors usually based on socio economic conditions which can occur at varying degree in every country of the world. This study is more concerned to explore the education induced rural to urban migration and its socioeconomic impacts on the migrant’s households and the home community in Kiramu Woreda, Western Oromia National Regional State, Ethiopia. In order to generate extensive data, the study employed cross-sectional qualitative research design which allows the research participants to express their views freely. Four rural kebeles of Kiramu Woreda were selected purposively. The research participants were selected by snowball sampling technique. The data was collected through in-depth interviews with rural household heads whose at least one family member migrated to other places as a result of education and with the migrants Also key informant interviews and FGD were conducted with experts and rural household heads respectively using semi-structured interview guides which is translated into Afan Oromo, the vernacular language of the communities in the woreda. The study findings shows that, lack of education opportunity, employment opportunity, poor infrastructure and social services in rural area on the one hand and the relatively better access to these opportunities in towns and cities on the other hand were the major factors for youths’ rural to urban migration in the study area. Many youths migrate to get education, better employment and for better life in cities and towns. The study also indicates that education induced rural youth’s out migration negatively impacted the agricultural productivity as the rural labor force migrated to cities , but not backed by proper remittance flow which adversely affected economic wellbeing of the rural households and rural community under the study. However the study result shows as education induced rural to urban migration positively impacted the migrants by paving the way to join city life which has better job and education opportunities as well as better physical infrastructure development. Furthermore, the study shows the rural youth’s migration to urban centers weakened the social life and social relationships of the migrants, rural families as well as rural community of the study area. Finally working to improve rural infrastructure and employment opportunity by designing rural development policies are the recommendations forwarded to the government based on the study results and study participants’ suggestion.