Child Migration and Dropping Out of Basic School in Ghana: The Case of Children in a Fishing Community

Eric Daniel Ananga

National Centre for Research into Basic Education (NCRIBE), University of Education, Winneba, Ghana.

DOI: 10.4236/ce.2013.46057                

Abstract

The government of Ghana’s effort on increasing access to basic education led to removal of school fees, introduction of capitation grants, school feeding and free school uniforms. While such moves have been applauded leading to improved access, child migration remains a barrier to educational access for children living in fishing communities in Ghana. This paper presents the experiences of schoolchildren who drop out of school as a result of child labour and seasonal migration. The central questions of the study are how and why migration acts as a barrier to education of children who had initial access. The paper presents in-depth analysis of qualitative data. The findings presented in the paper demonstrate that children enroll and attend school until they begin to migrate during mid-school sessions resulting in their exclusion from basic school. The paper concludes by highlighting some policy implications of children’s seasonal migration during school sessions and access to basic school in Ghana.

Keywords

Child Migration; School Dropout; Children; Child Labour

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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