CARIBBEAN SECONDARY

EXAMINATION COUNCIL (CSEC)

SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT

SOCIAL STUDIES

YEAR 2022-2023

CANDIDATE NAME: Otaine Wright

CENTRE: Maggotty High Extension School
CENTRE NUMBER: 100486
TERRITORY: 1004860363
TEACHER: Mrs. Beason
DATE OF SUBMISSION: March, 2023

SBA Question: What are the factors that contribute to the increasing level of child labor, and
what can be done to address this issue in Siloah District?
 Acknowledgement

As the researcher, I must express my deepest gratitude to Mrs. Beason, my Social Studies teacher
who has guided me throughout this SBA.
Secondly, I would like to thank to my sister for utilizing her laptop to do this SBA on, and finally
a warm thanks to myself for designating this topic “child labour.”
 Introduction

According to the Ministry of labor and social security, Hon. Karl Samuda, child labor is defined
as work that deprives children of their childhood, potential and dignity. The community of Siloah
is located in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. Child labor has become prevalent since the onset of Covid-
19, several parents are unable to provide for their child or children which results in children
fulfilling their own needs. This SBA is based on this social issue affecting the community.
 Content

Statement of problem …................................................................................................. 1

Reason for Selecting area of research …......................................................................... 2
Methods of investigation ............................................................................................... 3
Data collection instrument …......................................................................................... 4-5
Procedures of data collection …..................................................................................... 6
Presentation of data …................................................................................................ 6-10
Analysis and Representation of data …........................................................................ 11-12
Statements of findings ….............................................................................................. 13
Recommendation ......................................................................................................... 14
Bibliography …...............................................................................................................15
 Statement of the Problem

What are the factors that contribute to the increasing level of child labor, and what can be done
to address this issue in Siloah District?
 Rational

The area under investigation in Siloah district, a bucolic community in which is located in the
parish of St Elizabeth. Child labor has become a furnishing problem in Siloah district since the
onset of Covid-19. For the past three years the researcher has observed that there seems to be an
interesting level of children that are working in the community. Also, children have been absent
from school and are observed working in the streets. This issue is affecting many of the
researcher's peers, therefore the decision has been made to conduct research on child labor in the
community to address the issue.
 Methods of Investigation

In order to procure information about this social problem, the researcher will use printed
questionnaires. The advantages are:
1. It presents a credible source of information.
2. It allows members to express their opinions discreetly.
3. Whenever using questionnaires, the data can be collected at any time.
Letter to Respondents

Dear Resident,

This research is being carried out in the community of Siloah to determine the views of residents
on child labor, which is one of the major social issues affecting your community. This research is
being conducted as a requirement for CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Examination Council) Social
Studies. You are required to answer the following questions honestly and truthfully. Since you
do not have to write your name, this is a confidential study.
Thank you for your cooperation.

Yours sincerely,
O. wright
 Data Collection Instrument Questionnaire

1. Gender
 Male
 Female

2. What age group is normally seen working?

 6-9 years
 10-13 years
 14-17 years
 17 and over

3. How long have you been a resident?

 1-3 years
 4-6 years
 7-9 years
 Over ten years

4. Are you aware of any children that are working in your community?
 Yes
 No

5. What type of family do these victims come from?

 Nuclear
 Extended
 Siblings
 Single parent
6. What is your reaction to seeing a child working?
 No reaction
 Sympathetic
 Concerned
 Others

7. What kind of jobs are children employed to do?

 In shops/business establishments
 Domestic work
 Farm work
 Others
8. Are these children accompanied by parents?
 Yes
 No

9. Why do you think these children work?

 Force by their parents
 Poverty
 Not interested in School
 Other

10. Do you think work affects the academic performance of a child?

 Yes
 No

11. How does child labor affect children academically?

 Low grades
 Poor performance
 No interest
 Other
 12. Do you think the Child Development Agency (C.D.A) is doing enough to ensure less
child labor is in the communities of Jamaica?
 Yes
 No

13. In what way do you think child labor affects a child's emotions?
 Low self esteem
 Depression
 Vulgar behavior
 Other

14. How can the government help?

 Fine parents
 Place children in working homes
 Put children on welfare programs
 Others

15. How can the community help?

 Adopt children
 Support them
 Report parent
 Other

16. A possible solution to the issue of child labor is relevant authorities carrying out their
duties with more seriousness?
 Yes
 No
 Procedures of Data Collection

The instrument that has been used to collect data for this research is a questionnaire with a total
of (16) questions. The researcher randomly distributed the questionnaire to community members
by selecting every 4 houses that are available. In total, 30 residents were provided with
questionnaires. Within (24) hours, all were completed and returned. The researcher distributed
paper questionnaires alone. This procedure was necessary because doing paper questionnaires
compared to other questionnaires can generate much higher responses.
 Presentation of Data

A total of 30 questionnaires were distributed to the citizens, in which all were returned. In
comparison of male to female's respondents, 35% were males and 65% were females.
Figure 1: Column chart showing age groups normally seen working.

Forty-three percent of the age groups, age from 10-13 years, followed by age groups from 14-17
years which accounts for 30%. Twenty percent are in the age groups of 6-9 years’ while 7% of
the age groups are 17 and over.
Figure 2: Table showing jobs children are employed to work.

Employed works Number of respondents Percent (%)

In shop/business 5 17%
establishment

Domestic work 18 60%

Farm work 4 13%

other 3 10%

Sixty percent of the respondents indicate that they saw children doing mostly domestic work,
17% indicated that they recognize children working in shop and business establishments, 13%
notice that children were working on farms and 10% say they saw other jobs being waged by
children.
Figure 3: Pie chart illustrating ways in which a child's emotion is being affected by child labor.

Fifty percent of the respondents believe that children are mostly affected by depression, 35%
choose low self-esteem followed by having 10% selecting vulgar behavior, 5% indicating other
emotions being brought out by children.
 Figure 4: Bar chart showing the reasons why children work.

Fifty percent of the respondents choose poverty as the reason why children work, another 40%
selected by force parents, 5% think that the children might not be interested in school anymore
and another 5% choose other reasons.
Figure 5: line chart showing possible ways in which the government can help.

Sixty five percent of the respondents indicate that the government can put measures into place by
supporting the children and another 20% say they can adopt the children, 5% recommend that
they can report to the parents and 5% said otherwise.
 Analysis and Interpretation of Data

According to figure 1, the highest age group of children who work are between 10-13 as
indicated by 43% of respondents which is followed by 14-17 years which accounts for 30%.
During this stage, children are learning the importance of being independent. As it relates to the
main reason why children work is poverty. This is due to the children coming from homes where
the dependency ratio is high, and they must adjust their roles to become breadwinners to provide
for themselves and the family.

Figure 2 is illustrating a table which indicates that the most prevalent job is domestic work. This
is work done in the home such as washing, cooking, and cleaning. Regardless of domestic work
helping children to be well-rounded, it has effects. This is where work prevents the child from
getting a good education, bad mental health, they become complacent being that they get used to
it which is not good enough. Possible ways in which we can prevent a child from working are
stated in figure 1.
Figure 3 presents a pie chart where you can see that depression is the most where a child's
emotion may be affected. By this, we can state some facts on the main causes using our logic.
Based on the fact that these children that are working on school days, this can affect their mental
state as they may be missing out on their social life with classmates and peers. This can cause
them to develop depression as they are at a critical stage in their life where socialization is
important in their development.

Figure 4 shows a bar chart with poverty being the highest cause of children to be working. The
reason why poverty is the highest is because the standard of living is low, and children are
pressured as they are trying to sustain their family needs.
Figure 5, exhibit a line chart showing the highest possible way the government can help by
supporting the children. If this is put in place there will be less children working and going to get
a better education. They can support children by helping them when it's back-to-school time,
paying school fees for them, sustaining them with food, etc.
 Recommendations

The researcher recommends that laws relating to Child Care are strictly enforced with
consistency to ensure the best interests of children in the community. With this being done, the
data presented in this survey should be analyzed to highlight the prevalence of child labour in the
community. This is to select those families and children affected so that the necessary measures
can be enforced. The execution strategy for such is hosting workshops and forums at regular
intervals in the community to educate parents and families of these laws.

Once sensitization is done, the government should send in social workers to go into the homes
being affected and provide support to these families. This would be in the form of a social
protection scheme to offer monetary assistance to low-income households where children are
forced to be employed. A sensible implementation strategy is proper monitoring or assessment of
the individuals who visit social security offices and daily routine operations of where suspected
child labor is done and get children in a protected environment where they can be taken care of
without thinking about working. Efforts to widen access to qualified education are also a strategy
that can be used.
 Bibliography

Books:

Rampersaud, R & Umraw, R; (2005) Modules in Social Studies-4th Edition, Caribbean

Educational Publishers, La Romaine, Trinidad.

International Labour Organization, ILO; (2004) textbook, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland.

Websites:
http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/briefingpapers/childlabour/
Date: 23/02/2015
http://labourrightsblog.typepad.com/internal_labor_right/2011/09/developmental-effects-of-
child-labor.html
Date:12/02/2016