Peer-reviewed article
Effect of Child Labour on Children’s Education in Katsina State, Nigeria
A. Abdu, Ibrahim Rabiu, Ahmed Usman ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how child labour affects children's education in Katsina State, Nigeria. Researchers surveyed 216 child labourers and found high levels of child labour in the state, driven by poverty and lack of school resources. Children engaged in labour experienced serious educational problems including fatigue preventing schoolwork, poor attendance, inability to retain learning, and school dropout. The study found that poverty and family circumstances were linked to both child labour involvement and its harmful effects on education.
Key points
- Level of child labour in Katsina State was found to be high
- Major push factors for child labour were poverty, lack of uniforms and books, and transportation costs
- Children in labour reported being too fatigued to engage in schoolwork and reading
- Child labour resulted in constrained school enrolment, poor recall of learning, and school dropout
- Significant correlation existed between level of child labour involvement, its causes, and perceived effects on education
Limitations
The study was descriptive and cross-sectional, measuring only perceived effects of child labour on education without establishing causation or tracking children's actual educational outcomes over time. The research was limited to one state in Nigeria, so findings may not represent other regions.
Abstract
Child Labour has become devilishly ubiquitous with negative implications on Nigerian child’s development. Unfortunately, most researches concentrated on child labour issues at national level while little exists in literature at state level particularly Katsina. The study investigated effect of child labour on children’s education in Katsina State using descriptive survey design. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 216 child labourers from three senatorial districts of Katsina States. Structured interview schedule was used to collect data on respondents’ socio-economic characteristics, involvement in child labour, causes and effect. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in analysing data. Level of child labour in the State was high. Poverty, lack of uniform, books and problem of transportation fare were push factors. Majority perceived effect of child labour on education to be unfavourable. Being too fatigued for school work and to read, constrained enrolment in school, inability to recall learned experience and dropped out, lack of appraisal ability and disruption of school attendance were major effects. Significant correlation existed between level of involvement in child labour, causes and perceived effects on education. Family type and mother’s occupation showed significant relationship with effect. Causes of child labour involvement were major determinants of effect. Result provided support to show that level of child labour involvement was worrisomely high. Total free and compulsory primary and secondary education in the state should be taken serious and sanctions mated to parents who may attempt to deny their children schooling opportunity.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
Problem
Child labour preventing children from accessing and benefiting from education in Katsina State
- Intervention
- The study did not evaluate an intervention; it investigated the existing relationship between child labour and educational outcomes
- Population
- 216 child labourers from three senatorial districts of Katsina State, Nigeria
Key finding
High level of child labour reported in the state