The Role of Family Economic Education in Preventing School Dropouts and Reducing the Number of Migrant Workers

Abstract

The high school dropout rate and the high flow of non-procedural international labor migration (Indonesian Migrant Workers/PMI) have been perennial structural challenges in rural areas of Indramayu Regency. This study aims to analyze the role of family economic education in mitigating the risk of children dropping out of school and suppressing the tendency of youth migration through the internalization of financial literacy and local entrepreneurial orientation. Using a descriptive qualitative approach with a case study method in three key villages, data were collected through in-depth interviews with 25 heads of families, participant observation, and secondary documentation from the Manpower Office and the Education Office of Indramayu Regency. The results show that families who implement structured economic education—through instilling a culture of saving, differentiation between consumption and investment, and involving children in managing micro-enterprises based on local potential (agribusiness and maritime)—have higher financial resilience. Internalization of these values has been shown to significantly reduce the probability of children dropping out of school at the secondary level. Furthermore, mature economic literacy at the domestic level shifts children's future orientation from relying on physical migration abroad to creating digital-based economic opportunities and local commodities. This study recommends the need for integration of family financial assistance models (economic parenting) in community empowerment programs at the village level.