The Relationship between Education and Child Work

Abstract

Millions of children throughout the developing world work. Not all child work should be cause for concern. Some work activities develop practical knowledge and skills and reinforce children's sense of self-esteem and unity with their families. It is children's work that is exploitative and dangerous ('child labour') that poses a major human rights and socio-economic challenge. Universal primary education may be the single most effective instrument for meeting this challenge, but because of research inadequacies and the multiplicity of factors involved, a neat causal relationship cannot be established. Drawing on case studies from different countries and exploring the many different ways child work and education are interconnected, this paper seeks to pinpoint concerns that need to be addressed in order to eliminate child labour.