Child Labor as a predictor of Students’ Enrolment in Selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda

This study examines the relationship between child labor and students’ enrolment in selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda. The study seeks to specifically achieve the following specific objectives; i) To examine the relationship between domestic work and students’ enrolment, ii) To examine the relationship between manual labor and students’ enrolment, and iii) To examine the relationship between sexual exploitation and students’ enrolment in selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda. The study was based on a sample of 76 participants which comprised of head teachers and teachers picked from four selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District. Both descriptive analysis and correlation analysis techniques were utilized to provide an understanding to the study phenomenon. The study found out that domestic work has a strong negative and statistically significant relationship with students’ enrolment in selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda. The study also found out that manual labor has a very strong negative and statistically significant relationship with students’ enrolment in selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda. Further, the study found out that sexual exploitation has a strong negative and statistically significant relationship with students’ enrolment in selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda. Therefore, the study concludes that child labor in terms of domestic work, manual labor, and sexual exploitation has a negative and significant association with students’ enrolment in that a reduction in the various forms of child labor resultantly leads to an enhancement in students’ enrolment in selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda. The study recommends that the school administrators in partnership with the local authorities should conduct community awareness campaigns about the long- term benefits of education and the risks of child labor through engaging local leaders and parents to shift cultural norms around work and schooling which would significantly influence an improvement in students’ enrolment in Government Aided Secondary Schools in Kayunga District, Uganda.