Effects of child labour on academic performance of Ghanaian children of fisher folks

Abstract

Reports about the huge number of children involving in fishing and its tremendous impacts should be of grave concern to all. Fishing labour market in Keta municipality is shaping children’s schooling behaviour where some pupils are combining schooling with fishing. This study investigated the effects of fishing activities on school attendance and academic performance of pupils in the area. Data was collected using questionnaires, pupils' attendance register and examination scores. A sample size of 163 respondents (15 teachers, 74 pupils and 74 parents/guardians) were selected from three basic schools where fishing was predominant. It was shown from the analysis that fishing activities by pupils was high as indicated by 64.9% of the parents and all the teachers. Pupils who were irregular in due to fishing activities performed academically lower than their colleagues that were not combining fishing with schooling. The high rate of fishing activities by pupils was advanced by inability of parents/guardians to provide the needs of their children, compelling pupils to work in order to support themselves. This coupled with other factors such as lack of monitoring of children's education by parents, low parental education and fishing/farming parental occupation resulted in low school attendance and low academic performance of pupils. Child labour policies/laws enforcement, intensive and targeted sensitisation, economic empowerment of parents and improving the education system in the fishing communities to make school going attractive could drastically reduce fishing child labour and promote school enrollment, retention, attendance and high academic achievements