WORKING CHILDREN AND EDUCATIONAL EXCLUSION IN HYDERABAD, SINDH, PAKISTAN: A QUALITATIVE REANALYSIS OF AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL THESIS

Abstract

Child labour and educational exclusion are mutually reinforcing challenges in low-income urban settings. This article revisits an anthropological study of working children in Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan, with a specific focus on school participation, attendance, educational continuity and children’s aspirations. The source thesis documents seven child profiles and draws on participant observation, informal and in-depth interviews with children, parents and teachers, field diaries, and photographs, alongside a review of secondary literature. The cases describe children who combine work with primary schooling, children who left school in the early grades, and a child who had never enrolled. Reported work schedules commonly extended into the evening; several profiles describe work lasting approximately eight to twelve hours, although these case descriptions should not be interpreted as population estimates. The thesis links children’s work to household poverty, limited adult earnings, large family responsibilities, family work practices, and school-related experiences, including reported punishment by a teacher. The thesis material is re-examined thematically to explore how long work schedules may restrict time for study and rest, how economic insecurity may make schooling difficult to sustain, and how school experiences may shape willingness to remain engaged. The article argues that enrolment alone is an inadequate indicator of educational inclusion when children lack time, safety, support and regular participation. It recommends coordinated school-based monitoring, non-punitive teaching, flexible support for at-risk learners, family social protection and stronger links between education and child-protection services. Because the original study is a small purposive qualitative case study, findings are context-specific and are not statistically generalizable.