The Double Burden: How Child Labor Affects Learning Achievement in Nepalese Schools

Abstract

The Constitution of Nepal promises free education, but many children work to pay for their schooling, especially in urban areas. The present study investigates the learning achievement of working and non-working children studying in community secondary schools of Lalitpur, Kathmandu Metropolitan City as a function of parental support, academic-related habits and work involvement. A total of 296 grade nine students were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics from a quantitative approach to the data. The study revealed that there were significant differences in the learning achievement between working and non-working children and work hour and parental support were identified as critical determinants. The results highlight the importance of targeted policies to support working children and promote educational equity.