Chapter I
The Problem and Its Background

A.Background of the Study

Child labour is a worldwide problem regardless of the economic status of a country. This social phenomenon continues to exist both in developed and developing countries. The Philippines as one of Newly Industrializing Countries, also encounters the same (C. Diaz, personal communication, December 7, 2009).
Child labour is rampant in this country due to poverty. It deprives basic right to education and health (Philippine Star, 1993). Many child labourers are forced to stop schooling due to the necessity of contributing to family’s income. Child labour with its goal to respond immediately to the basic need of the household, deprives the child of the time to focus on
G.Definition of Terms Child labour refers to the children 7-15 years of age who are working voluntarily and involuntarily in exchange for money Voluntary labour refers to the work which is done deliberately by the child labourers. Deliberate implies full consciousness of the child labourers towards the nature of the activity and its consequences. Child labourers are working voluntarily are free from compulsion of parents and other individuals. Involuntary labour refers to the work done in exchange for money through compulsion of external forces such as dictate of parents and other individuals. Academic performance refers to the attendance, participation of the child labourers in school which is measurable by grades.
Social Class refers to the economic status of the participants in this study which is measurable by their daily earnings.
Socio-demographic profile refers to location, age, sex distribution, parents educational attainment, occupation, income, family size, number of members working in the family, educational status and attainment, and who pays for the tuition.

Chapter II
Review of Related Literature

A quarter of the world’s children (410 million) live in South Asia (Child Workers in Asia, 1994). These children continually experience problems with their health, nutrition, and education. They are also exposed to abuse, violence and environmental hazards, their assumption of responsibilities from their parents at their young