CARIBBEAN SECONDARY EXAMINATION

COUNCIL (CSEC)
2015
SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT: SOCIAL STUDIES

CHILD LABOUR

Candidate Name: Shemar Cunningham

School: Old Harbour High School
Teacher: Miss.Deenah
Center#: 100088
Candidate#:100088
Territory: Jamaica

Acknowledgement

As the researcher, I must express my deepest gratitude to Mr. R.J. Henry, author of many books including is very
own autobiography, for his invaluable encouragement and assistance I received complete this research.
I would also like to extend a warm thanks to both my aunt and uncle for their tremendous support with assisting with
the editing of the research, and my mom who helped with the construction of the introduction. Finally, I owe much to
my grandmother who would constantly remind me of the SBA by asking the same piercing question,Shemar, did
you do any work on the SBA today?

Introduction

Children are the greatest gift to humanity and childhood is important and an impressionable stage of human
development as it holds the potential to the future development of any society. Children, who are brought up in an
environment conductive to their intellectual, physical and social health, grow up to be responsible and productive

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members of society.

According to an article online (Resources for speakers on global issues) child labour is defined as work performed by
a child that is likely to interfere with his or her right to an education. The community of Kennedy Lane is located in a
rural area, hence making child labour prevalent due to the growing gaps between the rich and the poor in and around
the community, leaving a number of children out of school or not attending as often, selling in the streets, operating
hand carts and the list goes on.? Therefore the observer chose to conduct the research in this community. The main
purpose of the research is to address the major issue affecting the community, state the advantages, disadvantages
and the possible solutions of how to resolve this issue.

Content
Acknowledgement 2

Introduction . 3
Statement of problem 4
Reasons for selecting area of research .. 5
Method of investigation .. 6
Data collection instrument . 7-8
Procedures for data collection .. 9

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Presentation of data 10-14

Analysis and Representation of data . 15

Statement of findings 16
Recommendations.. 17

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Bibliography 18

Statement of the Problem

What are the views of residents in the Kennedy Lane community on the issue of child labor?

Research questions

1. Do you think that children who work at such early age are despised?
2. Do you think the Child Development Agency (CDA) is doing enough to ensure less child labour in the
community?
3. In what way does child labour impacts the child who goes to school?

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Reasons for Selecting the Area of Research

Child labour possesses a major issue, one that is rather disturbing. Child labor is defined as depriving a childs
childhood by having the child being engaged in working activities for example: selling goods. This is harmful to
their physical and mental development. This is an issue that is very common in the community.

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Method of Investigation

The method of investigation used to collect data on the issue of child labor by using printed questionnaires.
The usage of questionnaires brought a series of advantages to the research. They are:
Responses are private so the residents or participants names are not required.
The data is easily analyzed, calculated and interpreted.
Data can be collected and issued to residents at a given time.
The questionnaire comprised of twelve questions with four sets of three speaking to knowing if the participants are
aware of the problem, the causes of the problem, the impact of the problem and possible solutions respectively.

Kennedy Lane
Palmers Cross P.A
Clarendon

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February 2, 2015

Dear Resident,

This is a research being carried out in the community of Kennedy Lane to determine the views of residence on child
labour, which is one of the many major social issue affecting different communities across Jamaica. This research is
being conducted as an assignment and a requirementfor CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Examination Counsel) social
studies.
You are required to answer the following questions honestly and truthfully. Since you do not have to write your
names anywhere, no one will ever know who answered that particular question. The paper consists of mostly Yes or
No (to be answered by placing a tick inside the box provided), multiple choice and short answer questions, and
specific instructions are given.

Thank you

Yours sincerely,

S. Cunningham

Data Collection Instrument

Questionnaire
1. Gender?
Male

How long have you been a resident?

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2.

Female

Over ten

(10) years
6-5 years
Under one year

3. What thought comes to mind when you see a child working in the streets?
Their parents are negligent
Poor family
They have no future ahead of them

4. What is your reaction to a child working?

Sympathetic

Insensitive

Concerned

5. What kind of jobs are children employed to do?

Selling in streets

Wiping wind screens at stop light

Operating hand carts.

6. Do you think the Child Development Agency (C.D.A) is doing enough to ensure less child labor in the
community?
Agree

Disagree

7. Do you think that children who work at such early age are despised?
Agree
Disagree
8. In what way does child labor impact the child who goes to school?
Low grades
vulgar behavior
Lack of Concentration

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9. Do you think employment affects the academic performance of the child?

Yes

No

10. How would child labor affect a childs learning?

_______________________________________________________________
11. Do you know of a child who participates in child labor?
______________________________________________________________
(A)If yes, have you helped that child in any way possible?
___________________________________________________________
12. A possible solution to the issue of child labor is relevant authorities carrying out their duties with more
seriousness.
Agree

Disagree

Procedures for Data Collection

The data was collected in the Kennedy Lane Community. However, before collection, I had to introduce myself,
explain the essentiality of the questionnaire and what it was about. A total of forty (40) questionnaires which consists
of twelve (12) questions each were handed out.
I randomly selected thirty eight (38) residents in and around the community and gave them each a questionnaire.
Within Twenty four (24) hours they were completed, tallied and recorded and I began my presentation, analysis and

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interpretation of the data.

Presentation of Data
Figure 1: Question #7
Do you think that children who work at such early age are despised?

25

20

disagree

number of Respondents

Column1
15

10
Column1

5
disagree

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Figure 2: Question #9
Do you think employment affect the academic performance affect the child?

Do you Think Child Labour Affects the Academic Performance of the Child

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No; 52%

Yes; 48%

Figure 3: Question 8
In what way does child labour affect the person who goes to school?

Low Grades

Effect of child labour on the school child

Vulgar Behaviour
Lack of Concentration

0%

20% 40% 60% 80%

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Percentage Number of Respondents

Figure4: Question# 3
What thought comes to mind when you see a child working in the streets?

Parents are Negligent

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20

Poor Family
Background

12

Their future is Blighted

Analysis and Interpretation of Data

According to Figure 1, illustrating the responses to question 7, 24 or sixty percent (60%) of the respondents are in
agreement saying yes children who work early are despised. The other 40% said no they are not despised.
Figure 2displays a pie chart of the responses to question #9:Do you think employment affect the academic
performance of the child? where fifty two percent (52%) of the participants selected Yes and forty eight present
(48%) selected No.
Figure 3 in a Column chart presents the responses to question #8in what way does child labour affect the child who
goes to school? Ten(10)of the respondents indicated that it affects the childs concentration, five (5) said it results in
the child exhibiting vulgar behaviorwhile the majority, all of twenty three (23) selected low grades as an effect.
Figure 4 shows the kind of jobs children are employed to. Selling in the streets outweighs washing vehicles and
operating hand carts. However, in response to question #3 what thought comes to mind when you see a child
working? The statistical data is as follows: ten (20) residences selected that the parents are negligent, eight (12)

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selected poor background and seven (6) selected that there future is blighted.

Statement of findings

According to question majority of the participant disagree to the fact that children are despisedif they are
participating in child labour because their parent or Gordian is not able to fund them through school, to
pay bills, and to provide food as a result they are forced to work and fund themselves through primary
education.

Child labour affects the child academic performance because when they indulged in these activities as a
result its hard for a child to maintain ones performance in school.

A lack of concentration (not being able to focus during class), unsatisfactory grades (not being able to pass
examinations) and outrageous vulgar behavior are a few of the many reasons why child labour affects
students who go to school.

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Recommendations

I am aware of the laws and policies that are in place in an effort to resolve the issue of child labour but I recommend
these laws and policies are enforced and consistent with the principle of the best interests of the child. The
implementation strategy for such is hosting workshops and forums at regular intervals to educate citizens of these
laws and policies as well as making them aware of sanctions applied if laws are adhered to or broken. Television
advertisements, posters etc. are ways to remind people about these laws.
In the event that the child indulges in child labour to assist in financing himself, I recommend that the government
ministries (such as those dealing with labour, child protection, and mining), businesses, nongovernmental
organization, increase social protection schemes to support these children as well as offer monetarily assistance to
the poorest households where children are forced to be employed. A sensible implementation strategy is proper
monitoring or assessment of the individuals who visit social security offices and daily routine operations of where
suspected child labour is done and get children in protected environment where they can be taken care of without
thinking about working . Efforts to widen access to quality education are also a strategy that can be used.

Bibliography

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Books:

RampersadRamsawak et al: Modules in Sccial Studies published, 2005 Trinidad

Websites:

http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/109074/chapters/How-Poverty-Affects-Behavior-and-AcademicPerformance.aspx
Date: 1/03/2015
http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/briefingpapers/childlabour/
Date: 23/02/2015
http://laborrightsblog.typepad.com/international_labor_right/2011/09/developmental-effects-of-child-labor.html

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Date: 12/02/2015