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A STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF CHILD LABOUR ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SS2 STUDENTS OF OBIO-AKPOR LGA

Abstract

It has been observed over decades that, poverty forces poor families to send their children to work, which results in a serious problem the world is facing today. Child labour can leave many severe consequences on children and their families. When children work, it does not mean as a standard, they support their families economically, neither all of them get paid for their work since many of them work as bonded labour or as slaves. In addition to that, they face many problems which may cause permanent damage to their childhood.

Their education is often ignored by their parents or they may not be aware about their children’s educational achievement or academic performance. This paper illustrates how child labour and the factors that influence the activities of child labour continue to be prevalent in Kwande LGA of Benue State.

Findings from the study explain the reasons which forces children to work and in turn performed poorly in school. This paper also draws conclusion that governments, societies, and communities should cooperate in a better way with each other to decrease child labour in our society.

Keywords: child labour, academic performance, Kwande, education, governments.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Child Labour is a social problem associated with the rise of industrial production and capitalism. It appeared in early ages in agricultural societies, but during the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century in Great Britain it was especially conspicuous and began to be opposed. It was one of the biggest scandals of the 19th century, spreading to other countries as they industrialized.

Hindman (2009) define child labour as the most destructive end, where children are used as prostitutes or virtual slaves to repay debts incurred by their parents or grandparents or as workers in particularly hazardous conditions, that efforts are focused to stop such abuse.

International Labour Organization in Sweeney (2012) look at the term child labour as any economic activity performed by a person under the age of 15. In her own view, Jane (2010) sees Child labour as any work that subjects a child to economic exploitation or is hazardous, or interferes with the child’s education, or is harmful to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.

Based on the above definitions we can say Child labour is the employment of children in any work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to their wellbeing.

Child labour is a worldwide problem regardless of the economic status of a country. This social phenomenon continues to exist both in developed and developing countries. Diaz (2009) opined that Nigeria as one of the investment destination in Africa, also encounters the same difficulties of child labour as it is rampant in this country due to poverty. It deprives basic right to education and health. Many child labourers are forced to stop schooling due to the necessity of contributing to family income. Child labour with its goal to respond immediately to the basic need of the household deprives the child of the time to focus on schooling. The health condition of the child labourers is also affected due to the exposure of children to chemicals which are mostly hazardous to their health. The time spent in working contributes also to the health of the children. More than eight hours of working is not suitable for the age of the children. It has also many effects in the development of the country as a whole. Basu explained further if a child is employed all through the day, it is likely that the child will remain uneducated and have low productivity as an adult. Pigou, in David & Undyaundye, (2009) if a child works more his productivity as an adult falls because child labour diminishes adult productivity.

Navidad (2002) majority of our population comprises those who are tolerating child labour. The existences of house helpers who are below 18 years old show that some Nigerians tolerate child labour.

One aspect of development is education; they cannot deny the fact that education in our country is also affected by poverty. There are many children who stopped schooling due to financial incapacity in complying to school requirements. The relationship between school attendance, school performance and work is generally perceived to be negative. To Heady (2003) work interferes with schooling because it requires too much of children’s time balancing the demands of work and education which places physical and psycho-social strain on children and often leads to poor academic performance and drop out. Work may demand extensive physical energy, so that the child lacks the energy required for school attendance or effective study. Diaz (2009) stated that as a result of fatigue and a lack of leisure activities to support physical, social and emotional development, the child will experience very little mental stimulation and will end up neglecting his or her studies.

Ray, Lancaster & Heady (2003) opined that children who perform poorly in school are more likely to enter the labour market at an early age. Researchers have suggested that even limited amounts of work adversely affect a child’s learning, as reflected in a reduction in the child’s school attendance rate and length of schooling. However, it should be acknowledged that, in some cases, work enables children to afford schooling by providing additional income for families.

Child labour greatly affects school attendance which seems to be the major deterrent to academic performance and there are particularly adverse effects on the schooling of children and impact negatively on their schooling especially in the study area, prompting the researchers to carry out this research.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Child labour is a common trend in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State. It is a situation where children of school age are engaged in active work at the expense of school. Students who combine work and school face problem of attending school on time, they are mostly coming to school late because they engaged in domestic and other activities before going to school.

These children are mostly found at shops, local companies, mechanic workshop, factories, farms, home (carrying out domestic activities), and market places by the road side carrying their goods in trays and pans on their head selling to customers especially during school hours. Some of them constantly miss classes and some completely drop out of school and engage as full time workers. Most of them hawk in traffic jams showing their items to the pedestrians and passengers in moving vehicles. Some customers patronize them while others also take advantage of them and go with given item in the moving vehicle without paying for them. Some of these children are knocked down by cars especially by those unscrupulous drivers who over-speed while pursuing or running after bad customers who do not want to pay for their goods. They sometimes suffer health wise as a result of hawking on dusty roads in the scorching sun for long hours (especially those in Adikpo, Jato-Aka, Ikyogen, Ajio, Adagi and Koti markets).

Those who are engaged in shops, local companies, mechanic, traditional cloth making, factories etc by their pay masters are confined in one place and therefore work for longer hours thereby denying them the opportunity to attend classes and consequently affect their academic performance and eventually lead them to dropping out of school.

There is the need for further interventions if this problem of child labour must be reduce to the barest minimum in Kwande LGA. In light of the above problems (child labour) in Kwande LGA of Benue State that the researcher wishes to amidst many other studies that have been conducted in the past on influence of child labour on academic performance x-ray the nature, causes, trends of the menace and how it influences the academic performance of students.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to determine the influence of child labour on the academic performance of secondary school students in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.

Specifically the study will duel on the following:

To examine the extent of child labour in Kwande LGA of Benue State.
To determine the causes of child labour in Kwande LGA of Benue

State.

To determine the effect of child labour on academic performance of secondary school students in Kwande LGA.

1.4 Research Questions

In order to help the researcher carryout a successful research, the following research questions are raised.

i. What is the prevalence of child labour in Kwande LGA? ii. What are the causes of child labour in Kwande LGA?

iii. What are the effect of child labour on academic performance of secondary school students in Kwande LGA?

1.5 Significance of the Study

The future of every nation lies in her children and this can only be realized if the children are well equipped with the necessary skills to enable them take over from the aging population. Child labour from the available statistics indicates that it depends to a great extent on the income of the family and the educational level of parents concerned. This study is expected to throw more light on the problem of child labour in our society especially in the study area. Divisionally, the study will be significant to:

Parents: It will teach and guide the parents especially the ones who are economically backward on the dangers of engaging their children to labour as it affect children’s educational achievement, and also highlights the educational implications on the children academic performance.

Children: When the government adopts proper plans for education for the interest of the young children as would be recommended and suggested, the study would be considered significant to the children.

Teachers: Significantly, it will help the teachers to effectively diagnose and remedy various educational problems of children irrespective of their family backgrounds.

Government: Findings of this study might provide the government with the foreknowledge of children’s academic deficiency due to engagement in labour and other circumstances surrounding children educational development. The study also, will provide the government with proper suggestions and recommendations that would assist her in making amendments and further plans on education in the interest of the nation.

Researchers: This study will serve as a reference material to researchers for academic researches into the area (child labour) or similar areas.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The geographical area for this study is Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State in Nigeria. Its headquarters is Adikpo town, the Local Government has four districts; Nanev, Turan, Shangev-ya and Ikyurav-ya. It has 15 Council wards.

The targets populaces are the selected five (5) secondary school students in the study area (Kwande LGA). Mbagba Nanev Community Secondary School, Adikpo, Turan Community Secondary Schoo, Jato-Aka, Ikyurav-Ya

Community Secondary School, Ikyogen, Ajio Community Secondary School, Ajio and Tse Ikpa Comprehensive Secondary School, Adikpo.

1.7 Operational Definition of Terms

Academic Performance: As used in this work refers to how students/pupils deal with their studies and how they cope with or accomplish different tasks given to them by their teachers especially in secondary schools in Kwande

LGA.

Child Labour: Here, it refers to the employment of children in any work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful as seen in secondary schools in Kwande LGA.

Influence: As used in this work, it refers to the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect

itself.

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