Child wage labour in the era of Universal Primary Education (UPE) in Uganda: A case of Kawempe Division, Kampala

Abstract

The study set out to analyse child wage labour in the era of Universal Primary Education (UPE) in Uganda, with particular focus on Kawempe Division. The study population included child labourers and students. The study population also included Local Council (LC1) chairpersons, teachers, employers and parents of the child wage labourers as part of the respondents. The study adopted a cross-sectional study design, and it used qualitative research methods to collect information from key informants.

The study found that child labour was prevalent in the area of study. The findings of this study also indicated that there were a number of problems, which were giving rise to the existence and prevalence of child wage labour during the era of Universal Primary Education. Household poverty came out as a very important factor responsible for the persistence of child wage labour. Others included; underfunding of education, lack of economic opportunities and inequalities in the distribution of national resources.

To address this increasing problem, the study recommended that efforts to increase enrolment need to be accompanied by similar initiatives towards stemming the dropout rate and enhancing educational quality.