Child labor and school policies

Abstract

Summary: 1. Introduction; 2. The model; 3. Extensions; 4. Policy issues and concluding remarks.Keywords: child labor; bequests; capital markets; school policies. JEL codes: J20; J13; D60. This paper investigates whether child labor is socially inefficient. Baland and Robinson (2000) show that child labor might be inefficient when parents care for their children's welfare. In their model, child labor is explained by two factors: poverty and capital market imperfections. However, education in their model is readily available in terms of access, affordability and quality. This paper shows that the incidence of child labor is negatively related to school quality and positively related to the labor market conditions for children. It also shows that when children have no access to school or their access is limited, child labor is socially efficient. Therefore, a ban on child labor is not necessarily Pareto improving.Este artigo investiga se o trabalho infantilé socialmente ineficiente. Em recente artigo, Baland and Robinson (2000) mostram que, quando os pais se preocupam com o bem-estar dos filhos, o trabalho infantilé ineficiente. O emprego de crianças, no modelo desses autores,é explicado por dois fatores: pobreza e imperfeicões no mercado de crédito. No entanto, educaçãoé prontamente disponível na economia de Baland e Robinson, tanto em termos de acesso, quanto de qualidade. Contudo, nos países em desenvolvimento, escolas não são disponíveis para todas as crianças, principalmente naś areas rurais, onde o problema de emprego de menoresé mais acentuado. Este artigo mostra que o grau de incidência de trabalho infantil nas sociedades depende da qualidade do sistema educacional e das condições de mercado de trabalho para as crianças. O artigo demonstra, ainda, que quando o acessoà escolaé limitado, o trabalho infantilé socialmente eficiente. Assim, restrições legais de emprego de menores não necessariamente implicam uma melhora de Pareto. Since Joseph's earnings were not enough to allow him to hire an apprentice, it was only natural that he make his children work. Besides, this was his fatherly duty, for just as the Talmud says, just as man must feed his children, he must also teach them to work, otherwise he turns his sons into good-for-nothings... A child's service is little, yet he is not little fool that despises it.[This is what was later named child labor. 1 ] Saramago, J. (1994:105-6)