Economic Child Labour and Educational Outcomes: Moral and Academic Implications from a Global South Case Study

This study investigates the moral and academic implications of economic child labour within low-resource contexts of the Global South. Drawing on empirical evidence from sub-Saharan Africa and guided by Human Capital Theory, the Capability Approach, Attribution Theory of Achievement Motivation, and Ecological Systems Theory, the article demonstrates how children’s engagement in income-generating activities negatively affects educational achievement and moral development. By reframing child labour as a multidimensional developmental challenge, the study contributes to global debates on education, child protection, and social policy, offering policy-relevant insights for low- and middle-income countries.