CAUSES AND PREVAENCE OF CHILD LABOUR PRACTICES AMONG PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOOL STUDENTS IN SOKOTO METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the causes and prevalence of child labour practices among primar school pupils in Sokoto metropolis, Nigeria.. Two research questions were answered and two hypotheses were tested. Descriptive survey design was used in the study. 381 sampled students were selected through Multistage sampling technique from a population of 43,062 students in public junior secondary schools in Sokoto metropolis. Child Labour and Child Schooling Questionnaire and Achievement Records were used to collect data. Frequency, percentage, mean, and chi-square were used for data analysis. The results revealed that, three factors were identified as the major causes of child labour practices in Sokoto metropolis; tradition of the society, non-enforcement of the law against child labour and poverty among the people in Sokoto metropolis.,The most prevalent child labour practice among secondary school students in public secondary schools in Sokoto Metropolis is hawking. The paper recommended that Sokoto State Government should come up with more policies and programmes aimed at reducing to minimum poverty level in the state and there should be more advocates by the media and religious centers on the problems of giving children groceries for hawking.