Barrier to Compulsory Schooling: Socio-Economic Drivers of Child Labour in Uttar Dinajpur

Child labour continues to be a significant barrier to universal compulsory education, particularly in economically marginalised districts. This research addresses the socio-economic conditions that compel children to work and thus denies them access to compulsory schooling in Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal, India. This mixed-methods research proceeds with a household survey of 200 families, key informant interviews with local school officials, and focus group discussions with child labourers before encapsulating the central economic and social barriers to compulsory schooling as poverty, parental educational attainment, caste and social exclusion, and school infrastructure. The findings indicate that extreme poverty leads to early entry to wage work, parents with low levels of schooling care less about education, social norms relating to caste and gender push certain groups further to the margins, and distance to school, a lack of sanitation, and irregular teacher attendance lead to greater levels of dropouts. The study suggests multi-sectoral approaches including conditional cash transfers, community awareness programs, investment in infrastructure, and policy enforcement to strengthen compulsory schooling. This research adds to the body of policy and practice aimed at reducing child labour and access to education in Uttar Dinajpur.