The School Going Child Worker: An Analysis of Poverty, Asset Inequality and Child Education in Rural India

In examining child work and education in rural India, I find that Parental education and hours of non household child work demonstrate a U shaped relationship. I contend this is due to weak labor markets for skilled workers in rural India that creates a “high education trap.” This results in poverty and perpetuation of child work in households with highly educated parents. School attendance is feasible even for child workers, but is conditional on continuity of enrollment. At 30 hours of non household work per week, school enrollment in the previous year ensures that the probability of attendance in the current year is 93 percent