EFFECTS OF CHILD LABOUR ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN MAKURDI METROPOLIS, BENUE STATE

ABSTRACT The study was set out to examine the effects of child labour on academic performance of students in selected secondary schools in Makurdi metropolis, Benue State. The specific objectives were;to assess the various forms of child labour among secondary school students, to examine the factors responsible for child labour among secondary school students, to examine the effects of child labour on academic performance of secondary school students, and to suggest possible measures to curtail the menace of child labour and improve academic performance of secondary school students in Makurdi metropolis.The study adopted the anomie (strain) theory. Survey research design was used, 399 respondents were selected using cluster and simple random sampling techniques.Data were collected using questionnaires instrument and key informant interview guide, and analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Descriptive statistics such as simple percentages and frequency tables were used to analyze the quantitative data, while content analysis was used for qualitative data. The findings of this study revealed that child street hawking is the form of child labour among secondary school students and they engaged in child labour on daily basis. The study also revealed that students engaged in child labour as a result of poverty and economic hardship, alongside unemployment of parents in Makurdi metropolis. This findings revealed that students exposed to child labour perform very poor than those who are not and child labour leads to poor academic performance of secondary school students in Makurdi metropolis.Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations were made among others: The government should enact and strictly enforce laws prohibiting child labour, particularly street hawking among school-age children; Job creation initiatives should be prioritized to reduce unemployment among parents; The government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) should provide financial assistance and livelihood support to struggling families; To encourage school attendance, the government should provide scholarships, free tuition, and other educational incentives for students from disadvantaged backgrounds; and awareness campaigns should be conducted to educate parents, guardians, and community leaders about the dangers and long-term consequences of child labour in general.