Child labour and education: a study from south-eastern Zimbabwe

Abstract

This article looks at a system by which children contract to work for tea estates as a condition of attendance at their boarding schools. The children have very little free time and the conditions are harsh. Nevertheless, attendance at the school is by choice and the schools offer opportunities for many who would not otherwise get to school. They even offer some advantages to those children who have alternatives available. The interests of these children would not be served by simply banning this form of labour.


Journal of Social Development in Africa Vol 15 No 2 2000, pp. 5-32