The Impact of Children's Work on Basic Education in Cambodia : A Case Study of Angsnuol District

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between children's work and schooling in Cambodia. This study adopts an inclusive definition of children's work which also covers work in the home. In a questionnaire survey, which covered 460 children, the researcher collected information about their involvement in various kinds of work ranging from washing dishes to working in factories. Logistic regression and linear regression are used to estimate the impact of those kinds of work performed by children on educational enrollment and achievement. The results show that children's work is an influential factor which influences both the opportunity and quality of education for children in Cambodia. The analyses make clear that paid work restricts the educational opportunity of children. In contrast to common belief, non-economic work activities are positively correlated to academic learning, suggesting a successful combination of schooling and work obligation. It is also found that gender difference in education in Cambodian context is closely related to gender roles in work responsibilities. Girls outperform boys in learning achievement; but girls are more likely to quit school to work full time. This paper discusses why this phenomenon happened.