Child Labor as a predictor of Students’ Enrolment in Selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda


Authors : Kalule Noordin; Dr. Nabukeera Madinah; Dr. Matovu Musa; Ssali Muhammadi Bisaso

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 8 - August


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/54crs6nn

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/h859chsp

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25aug246

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Note : Google Scholar may take 30 to 40 days to display the article.


Abstract : This study examines the relationship between child labor and students’ enrolment in selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda. The study seeks to specifically achieve the following specific objectives; i) To examine the relationship between domestic work and students’ enrolment, ii) To examine the relationship between manual labor and students’ enrolment, and iii) To examine the relationship between sexual exploitation and students’ enrolment in selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda. The study was based on a sample of 76 participants which comprised of head teachers and teachers picked from four selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District. Both descriptive analysis and correlation analysis techniques were utilized to provide an understanding to the study phenomenon. The study found out that domestic work has a strong negative and statistically significant relationship with students’ enrolment in selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda. The study also found out that manual labor has a very strong negative and statistically significant relationship with students’ enrolment in selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda. Further, the study found out that sexual exploitation has a strong negative and statistically significant relationship with students’ enrolment in selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda. Therefore, the study concludes that child labor in terms of domestic work, manual labor, and sexual exploitation has a negative and significant association with students’ enrolment in that a reduction in the various forms of child labor resultantly leads to an enhancement in students’ enrolment in selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda. The study recommends that the school administrators in partnership with the local authorities should conduct community awareness campaigns about the long- term benefits of education and the risks of child labor through engaging local leaders and parents to shift cultural norms around work and schooling which would significantly influence an improvement in students’ enrolment in Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda.

Keywords : Child Labor, Domestic Work, Manual Labor, Sexual Exploitation, and Students’ Enrolment.

References :

  1. Acheung, A. K. (2019). Structured Questionnaires. Dordrecht: Springer. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-94-007-0753-5_2888
  2. Adesoji, O. (2018). Impacts of Child Labour on School Attendance and Academic Performance of Senior Secondary School Students in Nigeria. Journal on Education, 32(1), 151-168.
  3. Aladejuyigbe, A. G. (2022). Impact of Child Labor on Academic Performance: A Case of Students in Ikotun High School, Ikotun Lagos Nigeria. Lagos, Nigeria: University Institute of Lisbon.
  4. Boutin, D. & Jouvin, M. (2022). Child Labour Consequences on Education and Health: A Review of Evidence and Knowledge Gaps. Journal of Human Resources, 12(21), 871-889.
  5. Elfil, M. & Negida, A. (2017). Sampling Methods in Clinical Research: An Educational Review. Journal of Academic Emergency Medicine, 5(1), 52-69.
  6. Holden, L. & Biddle, J. (2017). The Introduction of Human Capital Theory into Education Policy in the United States. Review of the Political Economy, 49(4), 537-558.
  7. Holgado, D., Maya-Jariego, I., Ramos, I., Palacio, J., & Romero-Mendoza, V. (2019). Impact of Child Labor on Academic Performance: Evidence from the Program "Educame Primero Colombia". International Journal of Educational Development, 34(1), 58-66.
  8. Hyoungjong, K., Jieun, L., & Dong-Eun, R. (2021). No Harmless Child Labor: The Effect of Child Labor on Academic Achievement in Francophone Western and Central Africa. International Journal of Educational Development, 80(1), 102-121.
  9. Jerrold, H. (2016). Encyclopidia of Biostatistics: Spearman's Rank Correlation. Berkshire: Open University Press.
  10. Kassu, J. S. (2019). Research Design and Methodology. London, United Kingdom: IntechOpen Limited.
  11. Kayunga District Local Government. (2022). Kayunga District Local Government Education Performance Report 2021. Kampala, Uganda: Kayunga District Local Government.
  12. Lesanayo, D. & Keis, O. (2021). Impact of Child Labour on Pupils' Enrolment, Retention and KCPE Performance in Selected Primary School in Kilifi County, Kenya. Nairobi, Kenya: Kenyatta University.
  13. Mathiyazhagan, T. (2018). Survey Research Method. New Delhi: National Institute of Family & Welfare.
  14. Mincer, J. & Almendarez, L. (2018). Human Capital Theory: Implications for Educational Development in Belize and the Caribbean. Caribbean Quarterly Journal, 60(1), 121-133.
  15. Ministry of Education and Sports. (2018). Education System in Uganda: Policies and Regulations . Kampala: Government of the Republic of Uganda.
  16. Ministry of Gender, L. a. (2019). National Child Labour Policy of 2006. Kampala, Uganda: Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.
  17. Nnaemeka, A. A. & Osita, V. O. (2023). Influence of Child Labour on Primary School Pupil's Enrolment and Dropout: A Scoping Review. Journal of Education and Teaching, 4(3), 396-407.
  18. Putnick, D. L. & Bornstein, M. H. (2019). Is Child Labor a Barrier to School Enrollment in Low-and Middle-Income Countries? International Journal of Education and Development, 41(1), 112-120.
  19. Wanjiru, M. C., Ezne, E., & Kibathi, D. W. (2024). Influence of Child Labour on the Enrolment and Academic Learner Participation of Pre-Primary and Lower Primary School Pupils in Murang'a County, Kenya. Journal of Education Practice, 5(1), 50-60.
  20. Xayavong, T. & Pholphirul, P. (2018). Child Labour and School Dropout in Least-Developed Countries: Empirical Evidence from Lao PDR. International Journal of EducationEconomics and Development, 9(1), 1-23.
  21. Yeyie, P. (2020). Effect of Child Labour on the Academic Performance on School Children in the Kete-Krachi District, Ghana. The International Journal of Humanities & Social Studies, 6(8), 104-119.

This study examines the relationship between child labor and students’ enrolment in selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda. The study seeks to specifically achieve the following specific objectives; i) To examine the relationship between domestic work and students’ enrolment, ii) To examine the relationship between manual labor and students’ enrolment, and iii) To examine the relationship between sexual exploitation and students’ enrolment in selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda. The study was based on a sample of 76 participants which comprised of head teachers and teachers picked from four selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District. Both descriptive analysis and correlation analysis techniques were utilized to provide an understanding to the study phenomenon. The study found out that domestic work has a strong negative and statistically significant relationship with students’ enrolment in selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda. The study also found out that manual labor has a very strong negative and statistically significant relationship with students’ enrolment in selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda. Further, the study found out that sexual exploitation has a strong negative and statistically significant relationship with students’ enrolment in selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda. Therefore, the study concludes that child labor in terms of domestic work, manual labor, and sexual exploitation has a negative and significant association with students’ enrolment in that a reduction in the various forms of child labor resultantly leads to an enhancement in students’ enrolment in selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda. The study recommends that the school administrators in partnership with the local authorities should conduct community awareness campaigns about the long- term benefits of education and the risks of child labor through engaging local leaders and parents to shift cultural norms around work and schooling which would significantly influence an improvement in students’ enrolment in Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda.

Keywords : Child Labor, Domestic Work, Manual Labor, Sexual Exploitation, and Students’ Enrolment.

CALL FOR PAPERS


Paper Submission Last Date
30 - November - 2025

Video Explanation for Published paper

Never miss an update from Papermashup

Get notified about the latest tutorials and downloads.

Subscribe by Email

Get alerts directly into your inbox after each post and stay updated.
Subscribe
OR

Subscribe by RSS

Add our RSS to your feedreader to get regular updates from us.
Subscribe