Child Schooling and Child Labour: Evidence from Egypt

In this paper, the determinants of school participation and child labor in Egypt of 6 - 14 year old children are studied at the household level, using micro data from the October 1988 LFSS. Three main logit regression analyses were conducted: the likelihood of a child being enrolled in school, the likelihood of a child working (waged and non-waged) and the likelihood of a child working for paid employment. The main results of these various analyses can be summarized as follows. Child labor increases with age, while school participation decreases with age. Girls are less likely to go to school and to work compared to boys. Family educational attainment is an important determinant of school participation and child labor. The likelihood of school participation increases with the educational attainment of the family. The low level of family education is identified as one of the most important factors in determining child labor. Rural children are more likely to work and less likely to go to school compared to urban children.