Problems in primary education provision and school children`s engagement in child labour in the informal sector activities

This study investigated influence of problems in primary education provision on school children’s engagement in child labour in informal sector activities in Morogoro municipality. The purpose was to find the extent to which problems in primary schools influenced school age children to engage in child labour in informal sector. The study examined the nature and extent of child labour, reasons and attitudes towards children`s engagement in informal sector activities, and influence of education in inaccessibility as well as inability to afford schooling costs leading to decisions to engage in the informal sector activities. 226 respondents were involved in this study. They included school age working children, parents and head teachers. They were sampled by using purposive. Data collection was through a structured interview, focus group discussion, documentary review, and observation. Qualitative data were subjected to content analysis, while quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics. It was focused out that children engaging in informal sector activities varied in education backgrounds. Through poverty revealed reasons pushed children into involvement in informal sector activities, education related reasons such as unfriendly learning environment, long distances to and schools. It is recommended that there is a need to conduct studies of similar nature with large samples. The results will help to get the wide scope of the problem and the way it can be addressed so as to improve the quality of primary educations.