Seasonal child labour

“In this season, children get the seasonal opportunity to work in the fields so they can earn a few hundred rupees on a daily basis.” 

According to school heads, one of the most prominent reasons for children’s regular absence is that they often work as seasonal labourers in farms, especially during the planting and harvesting seasons. One official child labour survey estimates that over half of children aged 5 to 17 work in agriculture, forestry and fishing in Sindh province. These children remain absent from the classrooms for weeks and months, often pushed into child labour due to their poor circumstances. They miss out on classroom activities and are sometimes even dismissed due to low annual attendance. Many other developing countries face similar challenges.

Family movements

“Working parents move to cities for work opportunities, taking their children with them, which also affects students’ education. Spending weeks away from school causes their learning loss and a few never come back to school as they permanently migrate with their families.” 

Another explanation for children’s absences is family relocation or migration for seasonal work, financial gain or in emergencies. The Assessment Capacities Project reports that floods in Pakistan displaced around 3.5 million people, while in Sindh more than 140,000 people were displaced following major flooding in August 2024.