Dr Ellina Samantroy's presentation at UNICEF Innocenti's Inception Scoping Workshop for Evidence on Educational Strategies to Address Child Labour in India & Bangladesh, held in New Delhi in November 2019.

1. Landscaping prevalence & trends in child
labour & schooling & their intersections in India
Dr Ellina Samantroy
V.V.Giri National Labour Institute
Inception Scoping Workshop: Evidence on Educational
Strategies to Address Child Labour in India & Bangladesh
13-14 Nov 2019, New Delhi, India

2. The Context
Global Estimates on Child Labour Report (ILO 2017) reflects challenges in ending child
labour
152 million children (64 million girls and 88 million boys) in child labour globally, i.e. almost
1 in 10 children worldwide
African, Asian and Pacific regions host 9 out of 10 children in child labour (ILO, 2017)
Large number of children in child labour deprived of education (5–14 years)
36 million children in child labour are out of school, 32% of all those in child labour in this
age range globally (ILO,2017)

3. The Indian Context
Those who attend school are taxed in terms of time for engagement as child labour during
non-schooling hours. Time spent in work activities interfere with ability to engage in the
learning process and affects performance.
Girl children face special difficulties in entering and remaining in school, due to factors
such as early marriage and demands of domestic responsibilities within their own homes.
Girls also particularly vulnerable to the worst forms of child labour, such as commercial
sexual exploitation and hidden forms of child labour in domestic work.
Female youth in many regions have fewer opportunities in the labour market and face
greater difficulties in transiting to decent work. Often confined to a narrower range of
occupational opportunities than male counterparts.

4. Objectives
Construct broad overview of trends and patterns of child work among boys and girls and
schooling in India, including vocational training
Understand sub-national patterns of child labour, locate child labour across
regions/districts, and identify hotspots of child labour
Understand inter-linkages between child work, schooling (access and learning), and
potential determinants
Outline age and gender specific challenges related to child work and schooling
Based on analysis of data from Census of India and National Sample Survey
Organisation, including recent PLFS

5. The Macro Picture, 2011
Workers
10.1 Million
Non-Workers
249.5 Million
Students
199.1 million
Students
3.5 million
Marginal
5.8 million
Main
4.4 million
Students
202.6 Million
Others
50.4 Million
Household Work ~3.9 M
Dependents ~46.3 M
Rentiers ~38.3K
Beggars, vagrants ~34.7K
Others ~193.4K
Others
2.3 million
Household Work ~1.2 M
Dependents ~0.8 M
Rentiers ~3K
Beggars, Vagrants ~4K
Others ~265K
Age # Children (m)
5 26.1
6 25.7
7 24.8
8 27.0
9 23.4
10 30.6
11 24.7
12 27.9
13 24.3
14 25.3
5 to 14 259.6
= 21.4% Total Population
= 2.1% Total Workers
5-9 years
1.1 million
10-14 years
3.2 million
5-9 years
1.4 million
10-14 years
4.4 million
259.6 million children
(5-14 years)

6. The Macro Picture, 2011
Child labour decreased in magnitude and incidence between 2001 and 2011:
• Number of child workers (magnitude) aged 5-14 declined from 12.7 million to 10.1 million
• Child workers as a % of total children (incidence) also decreased from 5% to 3.9%
While incidence decreased in rural India from 5.9% to 4.3%, urban India showed marginal
increase from 2.1% to 2.9%
Mostly engaged as marginal workers
Agriculture is the largest category employing children
In rural areas, 40.1% of children engaged as agricultural labourers, 31.5% as cultivators,
4.6% in household industry, 23.8% in other areas of work
In urban areas, 83.4% children in occupations other than agriculture and household industry

7. Education & Child Labour
Education Level of Main Workers, 5-14 years Census 2011
Total Main Workers, 5-14 years, India (2001) 5.8 Million 100.0%
Not Literate 3.0 Million 52.4%
Literate 2.8 Million 47.6%
Below Matric 2.6 Million 44.8%
Matric or Above 164,334 2.8%
Total Main Workers, 5-14 years, India (2011) 4.4 Million 100.0%
Not Literate 1.5 Million 34.7%
Literate 2.8 Million 65.3%
Below Matric 2.7 Million 61.3%
Matric or Above 173,308 4.0%

8. Education & Child Labour
Education Level of Main Workers, 5-14 years Census 2011
Education level of main child workers across states reveals that majority were literate. Kerala
(82.2%) and Tamil Nadu (81.3%) states with highest proportion of literate child workers
Other states % literate child workers: Himachal Pradesh (77.6%), Gujarat (76.1%),
Maharashtra (73.8%), Uttarakhand (72.9%)
States that recorded more than 60% literate child workers: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh,
Karnataka, West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Punjab, Haryana, Chattisgarh, Telangana

9. Child work, schooling & potential determinants:
exploring interlinkages
Percentage distribution of 5-14 age group by current status of education in India
Never Attended Educational Institution 5-14 age group
School too far Supplement HH
income
Education
not considered
necessary
Attend domestic
duties
Others
Rural
Male 0.6 0.1 0.3 0.0 4.4
Female 0.5 0.0 0.3 0.2 3.8
Urban
Male 0.4 0.1 0.3 0.0 2.7
Female 0.4 0.0 0.3 0.2 2.8
Total 0.5 0.1 0.3 0.1 3.7
Ever attended but currently not attending
Rural
Male 0.0 0.5 0.2 0.1 0.5
Female 0.1 0.2 0.5 0.8 0.7
Urban
Male 0.0 0.5 0.2 0.1 0.6
Female 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.6
Total 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.6
Source: Unit level data PLFS 2017-18 NSSO

10. Child work, schooling & potential determinants:
exploring interlinkages
Percentage distribution of 5-17 age group by current status of education in India
Never Attended Educational Institution
School too far
To supplement HH
income
Education not
considered
necessary
To attend domestic
duties
Others
Rural
Male 0.5 0.2 0.4 0.0 3.7
Female 0.6 0.0 0.3 0.3 3.3
Urban
Male 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.0 2.3
Female 0.3 0.1 0.3 0.2 2.2
Total Male+ Female 0.5 0.1 0.4 0.2 3.2
Ever Attended but currently not attending
Rural
Male 0.0 2.1 0.8 0.3 1.3
Female 0.2 0.5 1.0 3.1 1.4
Urban
Male 0.0 2.0 0.8 0.3 1.6
Female 0.0 0.6 0.6 1.7 1.4
Total Male+ Female 0.1 1.4 0.8 1.4 1.4

11. Child Workers and Vocational Training
Insights from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (NSS) 2017-18
Age
Group
5-14
Male Female Total
Did not
receive
Received
formal
training
Received
informal
training
Did not
receive
Received
formal
training
Received
informal
training
Did not
receive
Received
formal
training
Received
informal
training
Rural 99.7 0.0 0.3 99.9 0.0 0.1 99.8 0.0 0.2
Urban 99.4 0.2 0.4 99.7 0.1 0.1 99.5 0.2 0.3
Total 99.6 0.0 0.4 99.8 0.0 0.1 99.7 0.0 0.2
Age group 5-17 age group by vocational training
Rural 98.9 0.1 1.0 99.4 0.1 0.5 99.1 0.1 0.8
Urban 98.2 0.6 1.2 99.1 0.4 0.5 98.6 0.5 0.9
Total 98.7 0.2 1.1 99.3 0.2 0.5 99.0 0.2 0.8

12. 0.2
0
2.1
0
1.3
21.9
0
0.4
39.9
6.6
0
7.3
4.9
0.2
0
0.4
0
0.5
2.1
0
0
0
44.6
0
1
0
29.6
0
0.1
0.2
1.1
0.2
0.7
11.8
1
0.2
42.1
3.6
0.5
4
16.3
0.1
0 10 20 30 40 50
Allied manufacturing-gems and jewellery, leather, rubber, furniture and fittings,
printing
Artisan/Craftsman/Handicraft/Creative Arts and Cottage Based Production
Automotive
Beauty and Wellness
Civil Engineering
Electrical, Power and Electronics
Healthcare and Life Sciences
Iron & Steel, Mining, Earthmoving and Infra Building
IT-ITeS
Mechanical Engineering
Media-journalism, Mass Communication and Entertainment
Office and Business related Work
Textiles and Handlooms, Apparels
Work related to Child care, Nutrition, Pre-school and Creche Total
Female
Male
Percentage distribution of 5-17 age group by field of vocational training

13. Age-and gender-specific challenges related to
child work and schooling

14. Child Workers and Social Determinants
Marital Status and Education
• Marital status impacted on education in the 5-17 age group among those married.
• Participation of currently married/ever married persons less compared to never married.
• Gender differentials prominent: 29.4% females in education compared to 66% males.
Gender gaps less prominent in never married category.
Marital Status Unpaid work
Unpaid work as total employment higher among women who were married.
Marital Status and Domestic duties
Domestic duties participation of women in currently married/ever married category extremely
high compared to men.

15. 0.90 0.00
3.34
56.00
2.03 0.75 0.00 2.22
53.58
NeverMarried
Currently/EverMarried
NeverMarried
Currently/EverMarried
NeverMarried
NeverMarried
Currently/EverMarried
NeverMarried
Currently/EverMarried
Male Male FemaleFemale Total Male Male FemaleFemale
5-14 age group
1.04 0.00
6.92
66.77
0.76 0.00 4.47
53.91
NeverMarried
Currently/EverMarried
NeverMarried
Currently/EverMarried
NeverMarried
Currently/EverMarried
NeverMarried
Currently/EverMarried
Male Male Female Female Male Male Female Female
Rural Rural Rural Rural Urban Urban Urban Urban
5-17 age group
Percentage distribution by marital status &
participation in domestic duties

16. Rural Urban
Male Female Male Female
Age group 5-14
ST 50.3 67.1 0.0 0.0
SC 37.7 73.5 72.2 39.4
OBC 62.2 77.4 17.2 81.5
Others 61.0 10.8 10.2 27.8
Age group 5-17
ST 53.7 54.9 4.7 49.0
SC 35.8 58.9 21.1 25.5
OBC 56.2 57.6 25.3 43.9
Others 48.0 50.5 12.7 23.3
Unpaid Family Work in Total Employment across
Social Groups
(Age group 5-14 & 5-17 (PLFS,2017-18)

17. Capture work beyond conventional definition of ‘work’ in economic sense to include market and
non-market activities (International Conference on Labour Statisticians 2018)
Full visibility for activities undertaken
Redesign policy framework beyond school attendance. Time spent in work and non-work activities
interferes with ability to derive educational benefit and affects performance and long-term learning
Access to social protection for informal workers, including social security systems and financing
Better labour market policies: children denied education have lack of skills needed for employment.
Need for vocational & technical training, apprenticeship opportunities, youth entrepreneurship, etc.
Future areas of research ,identifying
gaps and policy