Socio economic condition of Child labor ; A sociological study on magic and Bikram Tempo helpers in Hetauda, Makawanpur district

Abstract

This study was conducted on the Health and Education of Child Labor: A Sociological Study on Magic and Bikram Tempo Helpers in Hetauda, Makawanpur District. The child is made good or bad by the society and not by birth. Magic and Bikram tempo is the prevalent means of local transportation in urban areas of Nepal especially in Hetauda. the main focus of the study is about the socio-economic condition of the child helper in Magic and Bikram tempo of Hetauda city. The general objectives are to analyze socio-economic, educational and health condition of child laborer working in Magics and Bikram Tempos in Hetauda City. The specific objectives of this studies are: a) to identify educational condition as well as socio-economic condition of child labours b) to examine the health condition of child laborer and its socio-economic impact. This research study is focused on accumulating the facts of socio-economic status of child labour. This study is based on both exploratory cum descriptive research design. The unit of the study in this research is the child labour employees of Magic and Bikram tempo helper. Information related to child workers has been collected from all the Magic and Bikram tempo workers of the selected area like Ratomate, Phurkechaur, Manahari, Chunia and Bhimphedi. It is found that about 180 Magic and Bikram tempo are recorded in running till last March 2011 on the record of transportation office. Among many, only 75 children working as a helper in Magic and Bikram tempo under the age of 18 were taken as sample for this dissertation. From the filed study, it is found that 16 percent of the respondents were born in city and 84 percent of them born the village out of which 57.3 percent were of 14-16 years and 42.7 percent were of 16-18 years. Some 44 percent were from the Brahmins and Kshetri, 42.7 percent from Tamang, Magar, Gurung, Lama, Rai, Sherpa and Limbu, 10.7 percent from Newar and some 2.6 percent were Kami, and Damai caste group. It was found that 24 percent of the respondents have only father, 12 percent of them have only mother, 56 percent of them have both father and mother. From the survey it was also found that more children 36 percent of the respondents do not go home, 18 percent of them go home occasionally, 13.3 percent of them go once a year, 9.3 percent of them go half yearly, 6.7 percent of them go home by monthly, 2.7 percent of them go home half monthly, 2.7 percent of them go home weekly and 5.3 percent of them go home daily. Among 75 children, 12 percent of the respondents had come with parents to the Hetauda, 36 percent came with relatives, 6.7 percent came with friends, 2.7 percent came with master and driver, 40 percent of the respondents came by running from home and 2.7 percent of them were found from Hetauda. Majority of the respondents had come thinking that they would have better life in city, 14.7 percent of them came due to heavy work at home, 14.7 percent left home due to poverty, 9.33 percent of them left home due to guardian/parents maltreatment, 8 percent of them came due to failure in exam, 9.3 percent of them came city as they failed in exam and 2.7 percent of them were from Hetauda. The condition of education is extremely unsatisfactory among the Magic and Bikram tempo helper. Only 42.7% were found literate means can read and write and 57.3 percent were found illiterate means unable to read and write. Out of literate respondents, 37.5 percent of the respondents were found attaining up to class 3, 56.2 percent were found in between class 4 to class 7 and only 6.2 percent of them were found attaining above class 7. Out of illiterate respondents 43.7 percent could not continue their study due to family poverty, 25 percent due to workload, 15.6 percent due to lack of interest, 15.6 percent due to lack of interest and 15.6 percent due to failure in exam in different classes. 48 percent of the respondents were found interested in further education and 52 percent were found not interested in farther education. The reasons for not having interest in further study are different. Among them, 33.3 percent have no interest to study, 17.9 percent respondents were found very poor & to support their family they must work, 23.1 percent were found their age over to study in small grade, 15.4 percent of them told that there were not fixed job after further education and 10.3 percent of them were found without any reasons, they do not want to continue their further education. Problem of child labor is not new for our country but the problem of child labor in Magic and Bikram Tempo as helper is new because child labor in Magic and Bikram Tempo were seen in Hetauda just about ten years ago. Child labor is a widespread phenomenon in Nepal. Accurate information is lacking, but scattered information and estimates of different studys indicates that the incidence of child labor has been rising, mainly on account of migration from rural areas on the basis of findings, it was found that majority of the respondents migrated from village and only few are from city. Some of child labors had came in Hetauda in search of better life and some of other came due to heavy workload at home and rest came due to poverty, maltreatment at home. It is found that majority of child labor are working in an extremely miserable and critical situation in terms of health, education, nutrition, economic status and which ultimately hinder their physical, mental and psychological development in future.