Child labour and school attendance: evidence from Bangladesh

Child labour and school attendance: evidence from Bangladesh

This paper uses data from Bangladesh to examine the determinants of child labour and schooling. The theoretical framework adopted in this paper is a standard household production model that analyses the joint allocation of time within the household. Using Multinomial logit model, we then jointly estimate the determinants of schooling and working, combining schooling and work, or doing nothing for 5-17 year old children. Multinomial logit results show that the education of parents significantly increases the probability that a school-age child will specialise in study. Empirical results further show that if the father is employed in a vulnerable occupation, for example, day-labour or wage-labour, it raises the probability that a
child will work full time or combine work and study. The presence of very young children (ages 0-4) in the household increases the likelihood that a school-age child will combine study with work. The significant and positive gender coefficient suggests that girls are more likely than boys to combine schooling with work. The children who are sons and daughters of the household-head, as opposed to being relatives living in the household are more likely to
specialise in schooling or combine schooling with work.