Household surveys to identify child labourers: The SIMPOC experience

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Household surveys to identify child labourers
The SIMPOC experience
IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour

• Fast-Track Initiative Partnership Meeting Road
  to 2015
• Copenhagen, 20 April 2009

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This presentation will present the SIMPOC
child labour survey programmeemphasize the
importance of the recent ICLS Resolution on Child
Labour Statistics introduce SIMPOC
instrumentshighlight some of the essential
schooling indicators in SIMPOC surveys
and.discuss key findings from SIMPOC surveys
on the interplay between child labour and
education
IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
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International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
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Proportion of working children in
agriculture(Selected countries, ages 5-14
source SIMPOC)
IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
Statistical Information and Monitoring Programme
on Child Labour
SIMPOC

• Established in 1998
• Statistical arm of the ILOs International
  Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour
  (IPEC)
• Assists countries in collecting data on extent,
  characterististics and determinants of child
  labour
• Active in more than 60 countries
• More than 300 surveys to date 70 national
  household surveys on child labour

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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
Main donors
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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
SIMPOC Activity Range
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International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
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International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
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Countries increasingly assess child labour trends
IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
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International Conference of Labour Statisticians
(ICLS) 2008 - Resolution on Child Labour
Statistics
IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour

• lays down fundamental concepts and definitions
• sets standards for the statistical measurement of
  child labour
• facilitates international comparability
• provides guidance on measurement of hazardous
  work of children ...contd.

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ICLS 2008 Resolution on Child Labour Statistics
IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour

• elaborates on the statistical challenge of
  measuring the worst forms of child labour other
  than hazardous work
• indicates how to take unpaid household services
  into account in the measurement of child labour

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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour

• Sound child labour data help us
• assess the nature and extent of child labour
• set targets and priorities in the fight against
  child labour
• increase public awareness
• develop appropriate policies, programmes and
  legislation

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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
IPEC-SIMPOC Main Child Labour (CL) Data
Collection Approaches .. 1
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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
IPEC-SIMPOC Main Child Labour (CL) Data
Collection Approaches .. 2
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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
IPEC-SIMPOC Main Child Labour (CL) Data
Collection Approaches .. 3
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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
IPEC-SIMPOC Main Child Labour (CL) Data
Collection Approaches .. 4
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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
IPEC-SIMPOC Main Child Labour (CL) Data
Collection Approaches .. 5
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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
SIMPOC Model Questionnaires (Qs)
2 types of SIMPOC model Qs

• Questionnaire for a stand-alone household-based
  NCLS (in 3 parts)
• Parts A and B respondent is the most
  knowledgeable adult household member
• Part C addressed to each child (5-17)

• Questionnaire for most essential CL questions
  (for a CL module attached to a national
  household-based survey, such as a labour force
  survey)

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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
Main objectives of SIMPOC Model Qs

• Collect information on
• Key employment variables (industry/occupation
  hours of work, etc) and reasons for children
  engaging in work
• Working conditions and potential impact on
  health, education, and physical/mental
  development
• Unpaid household services
• Key household variables such as distribution of
  household members by age/ sex/ etc. and
  information of household socio-economic status

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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
Contents of SIMPOC Model Q for household-based
NCLS .. 1
Part A
Adult questionnaire (main items)

• household composition and characteristics
• educational attainment and school attendance of
  all household members
• current activity status (of all household
  members) in reference week .. including industry
  engaged in/ occupation/ status in employment/
  location of workplace/ weekly hours of work/
  wages earnings

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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
Contents of SIMPOC Model Q for household-based
NCLS .. 2
Part A
Adult questionnaire (main items)

• unemployment and search for work
• usual employment status (of all household
  members) in last 12 months .. (details as for
  current activity)
• unpaid household services (household chores) by
  major tasks and weekly hours performed

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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
Contents of SIMPOC Model Q for household-based
NCLS .. 3
Part B
Household characteristics (main items)

• housing characteristics
• migration status
• household socio-economic status
• ownership of durable assets
• ownership of land and livestock
• household monthly earnings expenditure
• household debt, if any

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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
Contents of SIMPOC Model Q for household-based
NCLS .. 4
Part C
Child questionnaire (main items)

• educational attainment and school attendance
  (level/grade completed, current level/grade
  attending, dropout and repetition, vocational
  training)
• current activity status during reference week
  (whether engaged in economic activities, location
  of work place, industry, occupation, main reasons
  for work, status in employment, weekly hours
  worked, etc.)

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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
Contents of SIMPOC Model Q for household-based
NCLS .. 5
Part C
Child questionnaire (main items)

• earnings and how spent
• mode of payment (paid employees only)
• hazards and abuse at work place
• injury/ illness due to work treatment
• engagement in unpaid household services (major
  tasks, weekly hours performed, and time of day
  when performed)

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Questions from SIMPOC Surveys on education of ALL
household members
IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour

• Can (NAME) read and write a short, simple
  statement with understanding in any language?
• Is (NAME) attending school or pre-school during
  the current school year?
• What is the level of school and grade that (NAME)
  is attending during the current school year?
• Has (NAME) ever attended school?

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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
Questions from SIMPOC Surveys on education of ALL
household members ...

• What is the highest level of school and grade
  that (NAME) has attended?
• What is/was the main reason why (NAME) has never
  attended school?

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Questions from the SIMPOC child questionnaire on
schooling indicators
IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour

• Can you read, and write a short, simple statement
  with understanding in any language?
• Are you attending school or pre-school during the
  current school year?
• What is the level of school and grade that you
  are currently attending?
• At what age did you begin primary school?
• Did you miss any school during the past seven
  days?
• How many school days did you miss during the past
  seven days?

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Questions from the SIMPOC child questionnaire on
schooling indicators ...
IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour

• Why did you miss school day(s) during the past
  seven days?
• Have you ever attended school?
• Why have you never attended school?
• What is the highest level and grade of school you
  have attended?
• At what age did you begin primary school?
• At what age did you leave school?
• Why did you leave school?

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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
Child labour and school attendance
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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
Effect of work intensity on school attendance
rates
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IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
Educational cycle of working children
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International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
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International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
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International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour
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www.ilo.org/childlabour
IPEC
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour