THE PERCEIVED CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF CHILD LABOUR ON CHILDREN’S EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY OF SHEA BUTTER INDUSTRY IN SAGNERIGU DISTRICT OF NORTHERN, GHANA

Abstract

Education is a right for all Ghanaian children of school going age but that is not exactlyso in most parts of Ghana including children of the study area because of their involvement in child labour, especially in the Shea butter processing industry in the Sagnerigu district. The objective of the study was to examine the perceived causes and effects of Child labour on Children’s education in the Shea butter processing industry in the Sagnerigu District of Northern Ghana. Case study researchdesignwasusedinthisstudy.Thetargetgroupsforthisstudyincludedchildrenandadults working in the Shea butter industry, parents, teachers and opinion leaders in the communities. Eighty five (85) respondents working in the Shea butter industry were randomly selected for questionnaires administration while thirty (30) key informants were purposively selected for interviews.Twofocusgroupdiscussionswere alsoheldattheSheabutterprocessingcentre’s. The data obtained were processed and analysed using mixed methods. Content analysis was applied to documents and reports already generated by Sagnerigu district assembly, the data obtained from the administration of structured questionnaires were subjected to quantitative analysis by the use of descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages, while the data taken from the key informants and the focus group discussions were analysed using the qualitative analyses approach such as themes and relationships. The studyfound that child labour was caused by factors such as poverty, single parenting, lack of formal education and low income. The study also found that lateness, absenteeism, low concentration, in ability to do homework and sleeping in class as well aspoor academicperformance werethe effects of childlabour onschool attendance. Furthermore, among the strategies used to reduce child labour included sensitisation, enforcing child labour laws, poverty alleviation and free and compulsory education for children. Governments need to ensure that its poverty reduction strategies support the elimination of child labour, financial support need to target the Shea butter processers with low income levels to reduce the incidence of child labour in the Shea butter processing Industry. Government need to apply the minimum legal working age to jobs in Shea butter Industry as well as punishing people who do not follow the laws.