Caregiver Perceptions and their Influence on Child Education and Labour across Lebanon

Children are the cornerstone of any society and as such, they need to be trained and provided with adequate opportunities to ensure their development, survival and rights on the path to their future as adults. Yet most of these children are at early age exposed to dangerous and risky jobs that affect every aspect of their development. This study contributes to a small but growing body of literature that explains the determinants of child activity decisions (including schooling, child labour and household chores) and aims to explore their prevalence in the Lebanese society along with associations with different socio-demographic factors as well as parental beliefs and perceptions around child labour and education.

The study was based on a cross-sectional observational survey of parents (both Syrian and Lebanese) of school-aged  children in Lebanon. Data collection was done using an interviewer-administered instrument through phone surveys  from a sample of 776 parents belonging to the less privileged layers of the society and residing in  three  different  areas across Lebanon.