CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

The growth of street hawking in Nigeria has gotten so popular that it has now become a source of concern to education. For the time being, there is no widely agreed meaning for the phrase child hawking,  however, it might simply be referred to as the abuse of a child by his or her parents, guardians, or any other adult in his or her presence. Child  abuse, according to Edu and Edu (1990), is defined as the purposeful mistreatment of a child under the age of eighteen years into street sales. According to them, such treatment might involve both acts of commission (abuse) and omission (mistreatment). A restrictive meaning of child hawking is associated with life-threatening physical violence, such as violent beatings and rape (sexual harassment), which are inflicted on children by an adult member of the community, according to the definition. Another definition places focus on any treatment that is less favorable than the most favorable care and includes neglect, sexual and/or emotional abuse, and exploitation among its many components.

Street trading and child hawking have evolved into a worldwide phenomena and a global source of worry for people all over the world. In both industrialized and developing nations, according to the United Nations International Children Education Fund (NCICEF), between 100 and 200 million children are employed as farmworkers or domestic workers. Children between the ages of 10 and 14 in Nigeria are estimated to be participating in child labor and street dealing at a rate of 20%, according to government estimates. Nigeria alone is thought to contain between 12 and 15 million child hawkers, according to some estimates.

According to Human Rights Watch (2004), Nigerians have the world's biggest child labor force, accounting for a quarter of the global total. A number of causes have contributed to Nigeria's tremendous surge in child labor and street hawking, some of which are listed here. Because of the fast population expansion in developing nations, high rates of unemployment, inflation, poor salaries, and horrible working conditions, occurrences of child hawking and child labor have increased as youngsters seek to assist in providing for their families' needs (Charles and Charles 2004, Deth 1993). It has also been suggested by Arat (2002) that the growth of enterprises may be associated with an increase in child hawking and child labor. Socioeconomic illnesses that impact children have been the subject of much empirical inquiry. It is true that countless studies have been conducted on children who, together with their parents, are out of the house on weekends and holidays. It is hoped that this research would bring to light the hazards connected with street trading and child hawking, as described by children who are involved in these behaviors.

1.2  STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Children hawking in school is not a new occurrence in Nigeria today; in fact, it has been there for decades. There are two key ways in which street commerce and child hawking have the ability to poison young minds. First and foremost, a youngster who misses school on a regular basis will not be able to reap the full benefits of the educational system. For people who are desperate to obtain a certificate at any cost, this might result in poor performance in tests and the possibility of examination misconduct. These graduates may therefore turn out to be unqualified and under qualified, with negative effects for the nation as a whole, including higher national illiteracy levels.

Street trading and child hawking, on the other hand, may result in behavioral patterns that are detrimental to responsible citizenship. Their undesirable actions or illegal acts such as prostitution, armed robbery, and pick pocketing may result in them being arrested and sentenced to prison. According to Humert (2009) and Humphrices (2010), In an attempt to address the issue of child hawking and labor, several government measures have been put in place, however all have been ineffective. This is most likely due to the poor socioeconomic condition of the majority of Nigerians, who earn just enough to provide for themselves and their families' needs. Several researchers, including Oruwari (1996), Okojie (1987), and Aderinto (2000), have linked the phenomena of child hawking and educational development to the socio-economic position of disadvantaged parents who live on the margins of metropolitan economies.  This research will provide answers to the problems of child hawking and child development that are now being investigated. As a result of this conversation, it is anticipated that the remedies mentioned below will minimize the threat to its bare minimum. Upon this premise that this study seeks to

1.3   OBJECTIVES OF STUDY

The broad objective of this study is to examine effect of child hawking on educational development. Specifically the study seeks to:

i.          Determine the causes of street hawking among senior secondary school student.

ii.        Ascertain whether street hawking affect the learning interest of  senior secondary school student.

iii.      Investigate whether street hawking affect the academic development of  senior secondary school student.

iv.      Examine if  street hawking affect the  behavioral development of  senior secondary school student.

1.4   RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The research is guided by the following :

i.          What are  the causes of street hawking among senior secondary school student?

ii.        Does street hawking affect the learning interest of  senior secondary school student?

iii.      Does street hawking affect the academic development of  senior secondary school student?

iv.      Does street hawking affect the  behavioral development of  senior secondary school student?

1. 1. This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research work
2. 2. As a source for additional understanding of the subject.
3. 3. As a source for ideas for your own research work (if properly referenced).
4. 4. For PROPER paraphrasing (see your university definition of plagiarism and acceptable paraphrase)
5. 5. Direct citing (if referenced properly)
Thank you so much for your respect to the authors copyright.