Socioeconomic determinants of child Schooling in selected slums in Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

Access to education is a critical factor for human capital development and overall economic development. Yet, many peculiar challenges inhibit school attendance in slums across the world, particularly developing countries. Therefore, this study examines the socio-economic determinants of child schooling in some slums in Lagos State. Data were collected through faceto-face interviews with 400 Households. Descriptive analysis was used to explain the distribution of respondents across various demographic and socioeconomic characteristics; while logistic regression was used to estimate the empirical relationship between the dependent variable and the independent variables. The study found that the age of the respondent, household size, years of formal education, and income significantly influenced child schooling. The study also revealed that respondents were willing to allow their male and female children to pursue tertiary education, indicating no bias or discrimination against female children. The findings have important implications for policy and practice, emphasizing the need to encourage older parents not to desist from enrolling children in their care in school. Also, educational infrastructure gaps in the slum should be addressed and parents should be encouraged to utilize free education opportunities offered by nearby government schools.