Child Labor, an important concern of the world communities, is generally understood to be the result of poverty. A study was carried out by the Education Development & Research Cell (EDRC) to explore the utilization patterns of child earned income and look at other contributing factors besides poverty that lead to child labor.

A sample of fifteen working children was chosen in Sher Shah which is one of the busiest parts of Karachi in terms of economic activity. The children work in different jobs including scrap sorting, tailoring etc. and also attend the Child Development Centre (CDC) established under the Sindh Education Foundation’s Child Labor & Education Program (CLEP) for informal education and recreation. Interviews and focus group discussions with the selected group of children and their parents, employers and teachers provide insight into earning and spending patterns of families, working conditions, perception of parents and employers’ regarding the children’s work as well as children’s perception of their future. Discussions from parents and employers revealed that while need for money mainly pushes children into the labor market, parents also at times, if children have no interest in studying and have quit school, force them to engage in jobs rather than loitering around on streets in the abusive social environment. Unfortunately however families seemed less concerned about the exploitative work settings. The study suggests that while CDC is providing child laborers access to education, it needs to extend and provide greater vocational guidance with a view to reducing the numbers of children who are drawn into exploitative work settings. Role of the public education system is highlighted further as imperative in reducing the probability of child labor that depletes the potential of children as skilled laborers across the country.