An analysis of child labor in District Gujrat, Punjab, Pakistan, demonstrates the impact of socio-economic factors on primary education.

Abstract

Abstract

Early childhood education is becoming a prominent subject in Pakistan, and many see it as a critical Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for the global community. The nation's elementary education is greatly influenced by the population's socioeconomic status. The impoverished’s economic conditions are continually deteriorating, making social problems like child labor and beggary more common (International Labour Organization, 1999). The current study aimed to identify the key contributors of child labor. Purposive sampling was used to acquire data for this study, which was carried out in the Gujarat district. We interviewed fifty brick kiln operators. It was determined that 80% of respondents were homeless, with 86% working 42 hours per week owing to poverty. The findings clearly show that child labor is linked to poverty, low income, bad living circumstances, a lack of education and knowledge, and inability to meet basic living expenses.

Keywords: socioeconomic, primary education, child labor, correlation, Gujarat, Pakistan.