THE IMPACTS OF CHILD LABOR ON EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: WITH A FOCUS ON TRADITIONAL MINING IN YECHILA

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of child labor in the mining sector on the educational achievement in Yechila Woreda, Tigray. The research explores the nature of this labor, its underlying socio-economic drivers, and its specific effects on children’s education. Adopting a qualitative, phenomenological research design, the study drew data from a purposively selected sample in three mining-prevalent kebeles: Jijike, Gira, and Emba Rfael. Data was collected through in-depth interviews (IDIs) with 25 child laborers, three focus group discussions (FGDs) with 18 child laborers, and key informant interviews (KIIs) with 17 government officials, teachers, and community leaders. The findings reveal that child labor in Yechila's mines is a brutal and hazardous reality, predominantly affecting boys aged 14 and younger. The work is characterized by extreme physical hardship, constant danger, psychological trauma, and economic exploitation. The study concludes that this crisis is a direct consequence of the war, which acted as a catalyst, transforming chronic poverty into an acute survival crisis by systematically destroying traditional livelihoods, devastating family structures, and causing the total collapse of the educational system. The educational impact is catastrophic: a staggering 97.7% of the child miners in the study had either never attended school or had dropped out completely. Mining systematically dismantles education by making school attendance physically impossible, causing severe cognitive impairment that renders learning ineffective for those who try to attend, and psychologically eroding the children's aspirations for an educated future. The study recommends an urgent and integrated response focused on post-conflict recovery. Key recommendations include: immediate humanitarian interventions such as food aid and cash transfers to alleviate household poverty; programs to restore and diversify livelihoods; a trauma-informed rehabilitation of the educational system through the creation of flexible learning centers and the reconstruction of schools; and the establishment of community-based child protection committees to rebuild social safety nets. This research highlights the creation of a lost generation and underscores the need for immediate, comprehensive action to restore children's fundamental right to education and hope.