Child Labour
THE EFFECTS OF CHILD LABOUR ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. A CASE
STUDY IN MADINA.
Problem Statement
Lots has been said about child labour and in these reports there are clearly stated concerns about the effects of child labour on children‘s academic performance and its long run impact on human capital development. Situations where children of school going age are engaged in active work, does it at the expense of school. The situation existed even before Ghana attained her independence in 1957. Generally, attendance rates for males are higher than that of females but the differences are minimal because they all are geared towards the downfall of society.
Often there is a mismatch between school calendar or timetable and household duties (e.g. fetching water, collecting firewood, cooking, caring for younger siblings and sick family members) resulting in some children not being able to attend school.
In Ghana the cooperative effort of the government, voluntary agencies and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have employed their resources into improving the lot of children especially in northern Ghana. The objectives of the UN‘s MDG compact, which are reflected in the original poverty reduction proposals of Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy, included raising the access of all the nation‘s children and youth to a defined minimum of basic education, irrespective of the economic circumstances of their parents or guardians. Child labourers lack concentration in class, end up producing bad results which could lead to school drop outs. One of the immediate consequences is streetism, a spear header of E. Sutherland‘s
Differential Association- a process whereby deviance or crime is learned from others. This negative phenomenon puts the Ghanaian society in a pathological state since the impact will be an astronomical increase in crime rate.
There is the need for further interventions if this problem of child labour would be reduced to the barest minimum in Ghana and
STUDY IN MADINA.
Problem Statement
Lots has been said about child labour and in these reports there are clearly stated concerns about the effects of child labour on children‘s academic performance and its long run impact on human capital development. Situations where children of school going age are engaged in active work, does it at the expense of school. The situation existed even before Ghana attained her independence in 1957. Generally, attendance rates for males are higher than that of females but the differences are minimal because they all are geared towards the downfall of society.
Often there is a mismatch between school calendar or timetable and household duties (e.g. fetching water, collecting firewood, cooking, caring for younger siblings and sick family members) resulting in some children not being able to attend school.
In Ghana the cooperative effort of the government, voluntary agencies and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have employed their resources into improving the lot of children especially in northern Ghana. The objectives of the UN‘s MDG compact, which are reflected in the original poverty reduction proposals of Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy, included raising the access of all the nation‘s children and youth to a defined minimum of basic education, irrespective of the economic circumstances of their parents or guardians. Child labourers lack concentration in class, end up producing bad results which could lead to school drop outs. One of the immediate consequences is streetism, a spear header of E. Sutherland‘s
Differential Association- a process whereby deviance or crime is learned from others. This negative phenomenon puts the Ghanaian society in a pathological state since the impact will be an astronomical increase in crime rate.
There is the need for further interventions if this problem of child labour would be reduced to the barest minimum in Ghana and
References: Basu, K, (1998). Child Labour: Cause, Consequence and Cure, with Remarks on International Labor Standards. Heady, C, (2000). ―What is the effect of child labour on learning achievement? Evidence from Ghana.” Innocenti Working Papers, no ILO, (2005). "Facts on Child Labour,"Geneva. Kumekpor, T.K.B, (2002). Research Methods and Techniques of Social Research, Son life Press and services Accra Republic of Ghana (1992). The Constitution of the Republic of Ghana. UNICEF, (2004). The State of the World 's Children New York.