Question

‘School dropouts are giving way to child labour’. Discuss how this is a loss to human capital.

Answer 1

When children leave school and begin working at an early age, they lose the opportunity to gain a proper education, knowledge, and skills. As a result, their future employment opportunities and earning capacity remain limited. Child labour also affects children’s physical and mental development. Because educated and skilled people contribute more productively to the economy, school dropouts reduce human capital formation. Hence, keeping children in school and preventing child labour are important for improving their future and the country’s economic development.