ROLE OF CHILD LABOUR IMPLICATIONS FOR UNIVERSAL BASIC EDUCATION IN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS (EDUCATION PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Child labour is a major challenge for the attainment of the goals of Universal Basic Education Programme in Nigeria
Child labour is defined as, the participation of young children under the age of 15 years in the labour force, with the aim to earn a living or to support household income (Grootaert and Kanbur, 1995). In most developing countries, I in every 5 children work; and I in every 3 children work in Africa (Nigeria inclusive), though there are rates across these regions (World Bank, 2007).
Child labour is widespread and has been on the increasing in Nigeria, where 45 percent of the total population, of over 140 million people, has been fopund to be children under the age of 15 years (PRB, 2009) (population Reference Bureau, 2009).
A huge 15 million children, under the age of 15 years, are engaged in one form of labour or another in Nigeria. A majority of these children are exposed to long hours of work in very dangerous and unhealthy environments children in Nigeria are employed in public places and markets as street vendors (64%) beggars and shoe shiners (4%), car washers/watchers (6%), scavengers (5%), and feet washer (8%). In northern Nigeria, children who survive on the street by begging are referred to as almajirai. The rise in the rate of child labour in the country might have been a consequence of the demand for cheap labour and poverty (UNICEF, 2006), although, children have always worked in Nigeria.
The philosophy of most cultures in Nigeria, have encouraged children to work with their families, in order to learn skills they would need in adulthood. However, children today are forced to work as a survival strategy for themselves and their family. The money earned by child labourers has formed a significant part of poor families’ income.
The issue of child labour has attracted increasing attention in the part decade from policy makers, advocates and researchers.
