Statistical Analysis Of Socio-Economic Determinants On Child Labour And Schooling In Ghana

Abstract

The objective of this study was to find the socio-economic determinants of child labour and schooling in Ghana. To this end, the 2003 Ghana Child Labour Survey data was analysed. The main techniques used were the simple logistic regression and multilevel logistic regression analysis. Results of the analysis showed that gender of head of household, marital status of parents, father’s occupation, mother’s occupation, relationship to head of household, place of residence, literacy of head of household, sex of the child and highest educational level attained by parents are all significant determinants of child labour and schooling in Ghana. It was also found out that if a parent is an unpaid apprentice, it raises the probability that, his/her child will attend school and work. The children who are sons and daughters of the household head are not as likely to find themselves in school and work as opposed to other relations living in the household. In spite of the fact that 10-14 years of age is a typical school going age, in the case of the groups that were studied, it came out that, majority of this age group were found working. Children who combined school with work mainly come from parents who are single. These children lived in urban areas where job opportunities are available.