Abstract:
The phenomenon of child labour has in recent years received much attention from both policy makers and researchers. This study sought to fill a gap in literature by focusing on the lived experiences of these children in their quest to seek quality education alongside labouring. The purpose of the present study was to identify the motivation and challenges of children engaged in child labour in the Asuogyaman district encounter in obtaining quality education. Further, the study sought to examine the existing policies that are in place to ensure quality education of children engaged in child labour. In order to achieve the objectives, a qualitative research approach was used to collect data from 20 street children and six stakeholders comprising teachers, opinion leaders and personnel at the district education directorate. An interview guide was developed to aid data collection. The study found that the predominant economic activities undertaken by children included hawking and vending of food by the roadside and at various spots mostly done by girls, and motor riding and fishing mostly done by males. The main motivation for these children was to raise some money to assist their guardians in providing for them. However, others engaged in it because they perceived it as a way of life for their family. Others also engaged in child labour because of parental loss and some boys did it to earn money to attract and persuade girls. The involvement of children in such activities has a significant impact on their education as it leads to poor academic performance. The Asuogyaman district benefits from national policies geared towards the access to quality education in addition to its own strategies outlined in their district medium term plans such as the FCUBE, school feeding, free uniforms etc. Non-governmental organizations in the district have also contributed to improving quality education amidst the incidence of child labour in the form of scholarships. The study concluded that the efforts of stakeholders to reduce the incidence of child labour have not yielded much results because it still rampant. It was therefore recommended that the district incorporates poverty alleviation programs into its plans and also stakeholders are encouraged to strengthen the sensitization programs to encourage parents and guardians.
