Educational Barriers for Children in Nepalese Brick Kiln Communities

By Eve Burgess

Published Summer 2024

Special thanks to Whitney Kingsolver for editing and research contributions.

Summary+

Throughout Nepal, brick kilns employ thousands of families annually for the seasonal work of crafting and shipping bricks. As families migrate between work in brick factories and agricultural work at home, more factors block their children from a complete and quality education. The open invitation to begin working with their parents and to help provide for the family becomes a strong temptation that causes many children to give up on school. In addition, Nepal's lack of law enforcement frequently allows children to drop out of school early without consequence. Their parents do not attempt to stop them either, making little effort to encourage education, while some go so far as to discourage it. This parental neglect results in poor school performance, with some children dropping out of school even when they are at home. Without a good education, most of these children are likely to stay in low-income jobs for the rest of their lives. The children who grow up in these conditions often experience a significant drop in their mental health and self-esteem that is difficult to escape. Programs and organizations are currently attempting to lower these effects by providing new schools and classes for children who must migrate to brick kiln communities with their families. While the children participating in these services feel cared for, many still feel blocked off from such help. In a poverty-stricken community, it is a difficult decision to give up earning extra money to allow families to educate themselves. The barriers blocking children in Nepal from receiving an education are significant and have detrimental effects on their futures.

Key Takeaways+

• Twenty percent of elementary school-aged children and 50% of secondary school-aged children do not attend.
• When children are encouraged to participate in child labor during their annual migrationThe movement of a person or people from one country, locality, or place of residence to settle in another.⁷ to brick kilns, their education is significantly and negatively impacted.
• Among children who migrate with yearly brick workers, 89% do not attend school.
• Poor school performance affects children’s futures and also affects their social and emotional health.
• The attitude of many parents and government officials toward education plays a major role in these children's failure or dropping out of school.
• As of 2024, Street Child has successfully impacted 10,306 children in Nepal either through direct enrollment or support in accessing school.

Key Terms+

Brick Kiln—A manufacturing facility where clay blocks are burned into bricks. These industries have expanded following the 2015 earthquakes, which created a large demand for bricks.¹

Child Labor—The employment of children, the majority of whom are no longer in school. These children are sometimes recruited independently but are often informally hired to work with their parents. Very young children are put to work making bricks while the older children perform tasks such as digging and unloading or loading trucks full of bricks.²

The Child Labor Act of 2000—An act that established the minimum working age as 14, but 16 for hazardous work.³

Education For All—An organization that advocates for the universal right to education and fights to make it more accessible for children in Nepal. One of its main methods for accomplishing its mission is teaching kids in rural areas of Nepal how to use technology so they can access digital literacy.⁴

Exploitation—The unfair treatment of other people for one’s advantage.⁵

Kathmandu Valley—A valley in Nepal situated in the Himalayan Mountains where most of the brick kilns are located.⁶

Migration—The movement of a person or people from one country, locality, or place of residence to settle in another.⁷

NGO—The acronym NGO stands for non-governmental organization. These groups are organized separately from any government to serve political and social goals at the community, national, and international levels.⁸

Seasonal Migration—Every year, thousands of families migrate from the northern mountains to perform low-skilled work in agriculture and construction.⁹

Transparency—Transparency in business includes being honest and straightforward about the company’s functions, including the candid reporting of job performance and financial status.¹⁰

Context

Q: What educational boundaries do children of families employed in brick kilns face?

A: Whether shaping bricks or staying home to care for younger siblings, the majority of children who grow up migrating back and forth from brick kilnsA manufacturing facility where clay blocks are burned into bricks. These industries have expanded following the 2015 earthquakes, which created a large demand for bricks.¹ are pulled into work rather than school.¹¹ In fact, among children who migrate with yearly brick workers, 89% do not attend school.¹² Many poor, low-skill parents in Nepal choose to migrate yearly to work in brick kilns for money because they lack the resources, such as materials and land, necessary to live off of a profitable farm year-round.¹³ Since brick workers are paid by the number of bricks they make or load in a day, parents often have their children assist in their work to increase their wages. In these cases, the children are not legally recognized as workers, but they are allowed to help their parents with tasks.¹⁴ Because these children are busy working, they frequently drop out of school or miss so much that it becomes difficult to stay caught up.¹⁵ In addition, since they are migrating away from their villages, the children cannot always attend the same school for the whole school year. Children who migrate with their families to the brick kilnsA manufacturing facility where clay blocks are burned into bricks. These industries have expanded following the 2015 earthquakes, which created a large demand for bricks.¹ have to start work at the beginning of the school year, which usually starts in August and ends in mid-June. When children have to miss the beginning of the school year, they often ask friends to register for them so they can attend upon returning, even if that puts them behind the rest of the students in their grade.¹⁶

Q: What are brick kilns and where are they found?

A: A brick kiln is a place where workers burn or bake bricks after they have been dried. The term is also used to refer to the entire brick factory where workers both labor and live.¹⁷ The brick-making process is as follows: workers prepare clay (made of natural deposits found in soils), mold and dry the bricks, and fire them in the kiln.¹⁸ In most cases, even when employees are not working, they live in the brick kilnA manufacturing facility where clay blocks are burned into bricks. These industries have expanded following the 2015 earthquakes, which created a large demand for bricks.¹ communities near the manufacturing factories.¹⁹ These living conditions are not ideal as the families cram into small, poorly constructed brick houses with little ventilation. The lack of ventilation makes it difficult to breathe in the smoke-filled air when the family members try to cook inside.²⁰

Throughout the country of Nepal, there are estimated to be 750 official brick kilns, with 211 inside the Kathmandu ValleyA valley in Nepal situated in the Himalayan Mountains where most of the brick kilns are located.⁶ and 539 spread out elsewhere in the country.²¹ Once the working season is over, most return home for the break. Home for these migrating workers tends to be the poor and more rural parts of Nepal and sometimes India.²²

Q: Who are the families who migrate to work in Nepalese brick kilns?

A: Families across Nepal, usually underprivileged and vulnerable, commonly gather in Kathmandu to work for the upcoming brick-making season. Following a destructive earthquake in 2015 and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the closure of schools combined with job and income loss pushed many families into desperation.²³ A study of 618 parents in Nepal showed that by the end of April 2020, 89% had seen their income drop by two-thirds or more. Many were forced to take out loans to keep themselves and their families alive. With the additional factor of schools being closed, the decision to let children enter the workforce grew easier to make. As of 2021, 15% of the Nepalese population between the ages of 5 and 17 were employed.²⁴ Based on the production volume, workforce, and operational area, the kilns are classified as small, medium, or large. In terms of their workforces, 16% of brick kilnsA manufacturing facility where clay blocks are burned into bricks. These industries have expanded following the 2015 earthquakes, which created a large demand for bricks.¹ were identified as large, employing over 250 workers. Roughly 25% were medium-sized, with between 151 and 250 workers. The remaining 60% of brick kilns were categorized as small, with fewer than 150 workers.²⁵ These workforces predominantly consist of migrants from impoverished and uneducated communities, who are compelled to leave their homes in search of sufficient food and shelter for survival.²⁶ Children often accompany their parents on the journey but will occasionally stay home if an alternative caregiver is available. However, studies show that children staying home is an exception rather than a regular occurrence.²⁷

Q: When do these families and individuals migrate to work in brick kilns?

A: Seasonal Labor in brick kilnsA manufacturing facility where clay blocks are burned into bricks. These industries have expanded following the 2015 earthquakes, which created a large demand for bricks.¹ usually runs from October or November through June or July.²⁸ Brick workers move to the brick kilns from October through May because this dry season is the only time when brickmaking is efficient.²⁹ Before October, brick kiln workers are employed in agriculture, harvesting the paddy crop, and the monsoon season starts in July.³⁰ During the rainy seasons, brick workers return to their rural villages to participate in other work.³¹ For 43.6% of the main brick workers, agriculture is their main source of income, and brick kiln work is how they earn money in the off-season.³²

Q: How does the Nepalese government view education?

A: The government of Nepal adopted the Education for AllAn organization that advocates for the universal right to education and fights to make it more accessible for children in Nepal. One of its main methods for accomplishing its mission is teaching kids in rural areas of Nepal how to use technology so they can access digital literacy.⁴ policy in 1992 which stated that education was a birthright for all and should be more readily accessible to children in Nepal.³³ Shortly after the Nepalese government adopted the policy, it declared that education should be an active part of modernizing society and help individual citizens develop with the times.³⁴ However, later governmental documents in 2009 and 2016 showed that no effort had been made to implement funding for the education systems.³⁵ More recently, a 2012 study was published about the government’s recent action toward making education more available. Nepal started a program in which government-run schools would provide free education until 10th grade, including free textbooks. The implementation of this program resulted in higher attendance, but the dropout rates barely improved while the teacher-student ratios remained one of the worst in the world, being nearly 30 students to every teacher at that time.^36,37

Contributing Factors

Child Labor and Poverty

The need for child laborThe employment of children, the majority of whom are no longer in school. These children are sometimes recruited independently but are often informally hired to work with their parents. Very young children are put to work making bricks while the older children perform tasks such as digging and unloading or loading trucks full of bricks.² due to the pressures of poverty is one of the most significant contributors to educational barriers for Nepalese children. Child Labor pulls children into the workforce and away from school. The most common cause is that their families are too poor to send them to school, instead needing them to work full time. In 2020, global statistics of people living in extreme poverty, or living off less than 2 dollars a day, rose from 88 to 93 million.³⁸ As of 2022, 5.1% of the people in Nepal live below this minimum, increasing the number of children feeling pressured to work.³⁹ Parents are often employed to manufacture the bricks and then are paid a certain amount per brick they make daily. With this method of payment, many adults end up teaching their children how to make bricks to increase their production time.⁴⁰ Some children only work for one or two months, but this work often causes them to miss the beginning of the school year, making them quickly fall behind. Another reason is that children become more interested in earning money to help their families than in gaining an education, leading them to stop attending.⁴¹ In one study, brick workers reported that they received 1.3 rupees per brick (a little over one cent in US dollars).⁴² With the minimum wage in Nepal being around 17,300 rupees per month, brick workers must make 450–500 bricks every single day just to reach a minimum wage salary.⁴³

Procedurally speaking, child laborThe employment of children, the majority of whom are no longer in school. These children are sometimes recruited independently but are often informally hired to work with their parents. Very young children are put to work making bricks while the older children perform tasks such as digging and unloading or loading trucks full of bricks.² is strictly banned in Nepal.⁴⁴ However, child labor remains heavily practiced. The laws in Nepal define a “child” as any person who is under the age of 16 years, but child laborThe employment of children, the majority of whom are no longer in school. These children are sometimes recruited independently but are often informally hired to work with their parents. Very young children are put to work making bricks while the older children perform tasks such as digging and unloading or loading trucks full of bricks.² laws only apply to those under 14 years.⁴⁵ During the brick kilnA manufacturing facility where clay blocks are burned into bricks. These industries have expanded following the 2015 earthquakes, which created a large demand for bricks.¹ working seasons each year, many children seeking to earn needed funds are recruited, sometimes to work individually and sometimes with their whole family. Labor opportunities are sought because even when school is “free,” it does not include uniforms, fees, or activities.⁴⁶ The government does not allow schools to charge admission fees, but some educators work their way around the rules by charging families for school repairs, exam fees, or extracurricular activities.⁴⁷ In a study done in Tawashree, families with children in grades 1–5 were required to pay an admission fee of 10–50 rupees and exam fees of 5–15 rupees on top of additional costs for school food, paper, and pens. The prices rose for grades above 5 with admission fees of 200–500 rupees, 150 rupees for exams and books, and other materials were no longer provided for free.⁴⁸

Due to financial barriers, Nepalese children must work to earn extra money to stay or help their family stay in school. When children work, their performances in school will typically dramatically drop; yet other Nepalese children will decide to entirely focus on work and drop out of school altogether.⁴⁹ Children who are not old enough to work also cannot do school and work simultaneously. One recent study done in 2021 reported that 28,000 children are working in the brick kilnsA manufacturing facility where clay blocks are burned into bricks. These industries have expanded following the 2015 earthquakes, which created a large demand for bricks.¹ of Nepal with 20% of those children under the age of 16.⁵⁰

Lack of Law Enforcement

The existing laws in Nepal that protect children from child laborThe employment of children, the majority of whom are no longer in school. These children are sometimes recruited independently but are often informally hired to work with their parents. Very young children are put to work making bricks while the older children perform tasks such as digging and unloading or loading trucks full of bricks.² and support their education are not strongly enforced.⁵¹ Even though brick kilns are extremely hazardous areas for children to be in, some 28,000 children work in them every year.⁵² Children working and living near brick kilnsA manufacturing facility where clay blocks are burned into bricks. These industries have expanded following the 2015 earthquakes, which created a large demand for bricks.¹ are at high risk for injuries such as cuts and bruises as well as respiratory health problems from poor air pollution.⁵³ Contractors from different brick kilns boldly recruit child laborers because there is no threat of consequence for doing so.⁵⁴ The Ministry of Labor and Transport management, which is currently in charge of inspecting the enforcement of child laborThe employment of children, the majority of whom are no longer in school. These children are sometimes recruited independently but are often informally hired to work with their parents. Very young children are put to work making bricks while the older children perform tasks such as digging and unloading or loading trucks full of bricks.² laws, reported that records of violations are not kept, making it impossible to know whether or not broken laws are going unchecked.⁵⁵ The Ministry of Labor and Transport Management (MoLTM) also reported that limited workplace inspectors and a lack of penalties for law violations make law enforcement extremely weak in Nepal.⁵⁶ The absence of appropriate training, budget, and employees leaves Nepal severely lacking the legal tools necessary to enforce the laws against child labor.⁵⁷

The laws of Nepal do not match the overall national opinion that child laborThe employment of children, the majority of whom are no longer in school. These children are sometimes recruited independently but are often informally hired to work with their parents. Very young children are put to work making bricks while the older children perform tasks such as digging and unloading or loading trucks full of bricks.² is more necessary than school.⁵⁸ The children in Nepal have no established system that requires them to stay in school and out of the labor force.⁵⁹ Because it is permitted, and in some cases even expected, that children labor in brick kilnsA manufacturing facility where clay blocks are burned into bricks. These industries have expanded following the 2015 earthquakes, which created a large demand for bricks.¹, they find they have no time or energy left to devote to their studies. Laws to protect children’s rights certainly do exist, but the government in Nepal has not made an effort to enforce them.⁶⁰

In Nepal, the MoLTM is in charge of monitoring how the government reacts to instances of trafficking and its anti-trafficking policies. Several issues contribute to this department’s lack of effectiveness. First, although they are budgeted to have 12 officials nationwide, several of these spots are usually vacant, and MoLTM officials have reported that they do not have enough resources to catch traffickers. Second, officials are insufficiently trained on how to react to violations of protocol. Labor inspectors have reported receiving basic enforcement training in the formal sector, but their guidance and protocols for addressing child laborThe employment of children, the majority of whom are no longer in school. These children are sometimes recruited independently but are often informally hired to work with their parents. Very young children are put to work making bricks while the older children perform tasks such as digging and unloading or loading trucks full of bricks.² have been inadequate and unclear. Thirdly, because the MoLTM does not keep records of how many or what kind of inspections they perform, no one knows how the laws are being violated and if perpetrators have been punished or not.⁶¹ Because organizations charged with the task of protecting children’s rights are failing to do their job, it is easy for families to allow their children to drop out of school and simply work from a young age instead.⁶²

The Child Labor Act of 2000An act that established the minimum working age as 14, but 16 for hazardous work.³ established 14 as the minimum age for work and 16 as the minimum age for hazardous work. This act also prohibited any work similar to slavery or forced labor.⁶³ However, the act was left with many loopholes for individuals, such as allowing children to help their parents make bricks without legally registering them as employees. With these loopholes added onto the laws that already fail to keep young children out of the workforce, keeping them in school becomes more of an issue. The Child LaborThe employment of children, the majority of whom are no longer in school. These children are sometimes recruited independently but are often informally hired to work with their parents. Very young children are put to work making bricks while the older children perform tasks such as digging and unloading or loading trucks full of bricks.² Act lacks a list of specified kinds of hazardous work, which makes it challenging to apply laws and even more complex to enforce them.⁶⁴ The act may have been created with good intentions, but without the support of the Nepalese government, it cannot help anyone. Although programs such as the United States Agency for International Development have partnered with the Nepalese government to help kids stay in school, 20% of elementary-aged children and 50% of secondary school-aged children do not attend.⁶⁵ As long as laws like this one are ignored, children cannot fully access their right to gain an education.⁶⁶

Parent’s Attitude Toward Education

For children to access education successfully, they need support from the leading figures in their lives. Parents' positive or negative influence on education can completely change a child’s educational experience. In a field study done with parents of child laborers in Bhaktapur, all 21 parents stated that poverty was one of the main reasons they allowed their children to work at young ages.⁶⁷ The problem here did not stem from a lack of awareness about the benefits of education on the parents. Generally, parents agreed that education would benefit their children, but when weighed against the other demands of life, such as income and work connections for finding jobs, education was low on the radar.⁶⁸ While most parents reported that if they were financially stable, they would have sent their children to school, some harbored negative feelings toward schooling and claimed that working as soon as possible was best for their children’s future. The general understanding among these parents was that education could be good for them, but if all of their children went to school full-time, their families would lack the means to survive.⁶⁹ Many children have adopted these beliefs, choosing to drop out of school to work full-time to pay for their younger siblings' education. One study followed 41 students and found that before the children experienced working for income, only 4 children had dropped out, and 34 of them passed their final exams. However, after the children began working, the number of dropouts increased to 31, and a mere 5 of them successfully passed their exams.⁷⁰ As long as this attitude of dropping out of school to work is accepted, the problem cannot be solved.

Children are far less likely to be motivated to go to school without adequate support and encouragement from their parents. From this same study, one father explained that all kids will eventually have to work whether they go to school or not, so they should begin working as soon as they possibly can.⁷¹ In addition, some described past failures where their friends or family members graduated but still could find no work. One parent in this study described how his nephew managed to graduate high school despite his poor financial situation, but afterward, he could not find scholarships or jobs to help him move forward.⁷² The man further explained that in Nepal, education cannot help people rise above poverty without being combined with work connections. Many parents feel confident teaching their children independence and good work ethic in place of general education, and they believe these teachings are sufficient education for their children.⁷³ The lack of encouragement from parents, sometimes even veering into discouragement, toward education severely limits the potential of these children to learn.

Consequences

Poor Performance in School Leading to Dropouts

The annual migrationThe movement of a person or people from one country, locality, or place of residence to settle in another.⁷ of families to work in the brick kilnsA manufacturing facility where clay blocks are burned into bricks. These industries have expanded following the 2015 earthquakes, which created a large demand for bricks.¹ creates significant disadvantages for children’s schooling and often leads to poor performance in school. Seventy-five percent of children attend school in lower basic education, but that percentage drops to 50 in the upper basic level and then to 48% in secondary school.⁷⁴ In just first grade, 15% of children end up dropping out, and another 30% have to repeat the entire grade.⁷⁵ While some children do decide to drop out, many children try to work and stay enrolled in school simultaneously.⁷⁶ However, their work in brick kilns usually takes them away from school for at least one or two months, making it difficult for them to catch up on lessons. They generally miss the beginning of school when the pace is slower, and not knowing the basics makes it almost impossible for them to catch up, resulting in lower exam scores.⁷⁷ In government-run schools, which the children of migrating families commonly attend, 72% fail the future-determining secondary school exam.⁷⁸ Research has shown that in many brick kiln communities, classes or tutoring sessions are available for children but lack consistent attendance.⁷⁹ A 13-year-old interviewed in this study reported that his exhaustion from waking up around 3–4 am and working until the evening keeps him from classes and tutoring sessions.⁸⁰

Fifty-nine thousand five hundred children call the brick kilnsA manufacturing facility where clay blocks are burned into bricks. These industries have expanded following the 2015 earthquakes, which created a large demand for bricks.¹ in Kathmandu Valley home. Of these, just one-third have completed their second year of education. They live near the brick kilns and spend their time either with their parents making bricks or at home doing the housework.⁸¹ Children who assist their parents in the brick kilns often work up to 20 hours per week and have no strength left to dedicate to their education in their free time.⁸² Those who stay home to help watch younger children or to do housework may also be deprived of the time necessary to dedicate to school. As main workers in the kilns, their parents work an average of 52 hours each week, leaving parents with little to no time to help out at home.⁸³

According to a 2021 study on 28,000 children working in brick kilnA manufacturing facility where clay blocks are burned into bricks. These industries have expanded following the 2015 earthquakes, which created a large demand for bricks.¹ communities, the children’s desire to finish their education is diminished as they are drawn deeper into work.⁸⁴ Children aren’t dropping out simply because school becomes too difficult but because they slowly become wholly dissociated from education. Attitudes centralize around needing to know the necessities such as reading and math and then moving on to work rather than continuing to secondary education. Once children know these education basics, they believe formal education is unnecessary, discouraging future attendance. The children and youth affected by these attitudes tend to start school late, have to make up for missed time, or attend school irregularly, which makes it far less likely for them to finish school at all.⁸⁵ Failure in school, especially at such young ages, is a significant negative effect of these blocks on education for migrant families in Nepal.

A study in Bhaktapur and Sarlahi reported that children often work 10-hour days helping their parents or working alone at the brick kilnsA manufacturing facility where clay blocks are burned into bricks. These industries have expanded following the 2015 earthquakes, which created a large demand for bricks.¹.⁸⁶ In some cases, after work, school classes are offered near these children, but after their workday, they are left with little to no energy to dedicate to their education.⁸⁷ Many of the children from the previously mentioned study in Bhaktapur and Sarlahi reported that before working at a brick kiln, they did well in school and passed their exams, but they can no longer maintain a good rank in class.⁸⁸ A surplus of studies done in Nepalese brick kilns makes it evident that seasonal migration to and from this kind of work significantly and negatively impacts the education of young children.

Little Opportunity for Better Jobs

When children stop attending school, they frequently give up on their future professional aspirations.⁸⁹ Quality, high-paying jobs, such as those in the legal and financial fields, require secondary education and ambition to achieve.⁹⁰ Even if children involved in seasonal brick kilnA manufacturing facility where clay blocks are burned into bricks. These industries have expanded following the 2015 earthquakes, which created a large demand for bricks.¹ work attend school as often as possible, they are missing too much to receive the education they need to earn high test scores. In a study on the opportunities and barriers to Nepalese children’s futures, it was reported that positive classroom environments such as student inclusion, support and encouragement from teachers, and access to educational tracks led to greater occupational outcomes.⁹¹ Another study showed that higher education does not significantly raise wages for individuals, but most individuals pursuing specific careers, such as jobs in business and entrepreneurship, are educated at a university level. Migrating families may not be earning significantly less money, but without education, they are very limited in what jobs they can choose.⁹²

A study of 800 workers ages 12 to 73 in Nepal showed that 37% of brick kiln workers completed primary education.^93,94 In contrast, almost 95% of grocery store workers went onto secondary and university level education.⁹⁵ These numbers demonstrate how education helps laborers out of hazardous working environments. The difference in the quality of life for the employees of these two professions is notable. Brick workers labor in far more hazardous conditions, engage in strenuous manual labor, and are at risk of chronic cough and dangerous air pollution-caused health problems. In contrast, grocery store workers are safe from hazardous air pollution and heavy manual labor. Brick kilnA manufacturing facility where clay blocks are burned into bricks. These industries have expanded following the 2015 earthquakes, which created a large demand for bricks.¹ industries also showed to be more likely to hire children under 18, making it easier for children to leave school and spend their time making bricks for money.⁹⁶ These children grow up lacking the educational experience to even work in a grocery store, thus sinking deeper into a life of manual labor. For example, due to a lack of education, 65% of Nepal’s population cannot read, making it increasingly difficult for these people to find jobs outside of manual labor.⁹⁷ These difficulties make it seem more and more practical for children to stay in the brick kiln industry for the rest of their lives.

Mental and Physical Health Challenges

Missing school and falling behind in education causes various levels of psychosocial distress in Nepalese children. A global study on the health effects of parental migrationThe movement of a person or people from one country, locality, or place of residence to settle in another.⁷ on their children was done in 2018. Researchers analyzed information from medical institution databases and found that psychological distress arises when children do not feel accepted by others, lack confidence, feel threatened and isolated, and experience excessive amounts of stress.⁹⁸ Many children experience the responsibility and pressure of needing to help provide financially for their families.⁹⁹ This burden that takes children away from school and into the workforce costs them their childhood and potential, harming their mental health.¹⁰⁰ Children who must work instead of going to school primarily spend time with their families rather than their peers. This lack of socialization creates excessive amounts of social anxiety and low self-esteem because of a lack of connection with peers the same age.¹⁰¹ In one study, children, both workers and non-workers, were asked to put themselves in one of nine categories ranging from feeling safe, accepted, and optimistic to feeling rejected and unconfident. The largest group, which 44% of all the children chose, was the category labeled, “Rejected, not confident.” Out of the children who resonated with this category, 86% were children who worked in brick factories.¹⁰² Thirty-two percent of children selected the, “Accepted, safe, optimistic,” category. While the large majority of children working in brick kilns identified as not confident or rejected, 82% of the children identifying as safe and accepted had not worked in brick kilns. Overall, children working in brick kilns reported more negative psychological profiles than non-workers, indicating that when children are taken out of school and put to work, their mental health rapidly worsens.¹⁰³

A study done on the well-being of children in Nepal interviewed children in Nepal about their sense of security. Researchers asked them questions about having support from friends, feeling hopeful about the future, and feeling safe. Through linear regression models, this study found a statistically significant relationship between children working at the kilns and experiencing poor mental health.¹⁰¹ Additionally, there was a statistically significant relationship between improved mental health and going to school.¹⁰⁵ Working at the kilns had a significantly higher negative impact on their mental well-being, increasing levels of insecurity, pessimism, and loneliness. In addition to intellectual education, going to school provides children with a social education as it teaches children how to interact with others and adapt to working with new people. When children are not attending school, they miss out on acquiring those vital social skills. This deficit in social interactions leaves them feeling disconnected from their friends and less secure in their relationships.¹⁰⁶

Practices

Educational Services in Accessible Locations

One of the most common interventions to help Nepalese children overcome barriers to education is the implementation of schools and classes in brick kilnA manufacturing facility where clay blocks are burned into bricks. These industries have expanded following the 2015 earthquakes, which created a large demand for bricks.¹ communities. The major issues in children’s interrupted education stem from children being forced to leave their homes annually in the middle of the school year.¹⁰⁷ Thus, many organizations provide aid in the form of free educational services in convenient locations. The organization Street Child has provided 255 classrooms in schools located in 14 brick kilns, filling them with experienced teachers and educational supplies.¹⁰⁸ Although the total number of teachers working with this institution is unspecified, a new program introduced after the COVID-19 pandemic trained 140 teachers for 64 new classes.¹⁰⁹ The Street Child program provides mid-day meals, school supplies, and quality education at no cost. The program’s unique curriculum ensures that these migrating children will have an easy transition from brick kiln schools to their schools in their home villages. Some NGOsThe acronym NGO stands for non-governmental organization. These groups are organized separately from any government to serve political and social goals at the community, national, and international levels.⁸ provide classes and tutoring for children in areas where schools have not been constructed. In a recent study, children who attended NGO-run classes reported that they were helpful in their educational goals.¹¹⁰

Impact

Many of these organizations have been able to make a significant difference in various Nepalese communities. For example, since the global pandemic in 2020, Street Child has provided educational services and supplies to over 2,900 Nepalese children.¹¹¹ Many of the children served by Street Child are young girls who are inhibited from the opportunity to gain any education at all.¹¹² Feedback from children with experience attending NGOThe acronym NGO stands for non-governmental organization. These groups are organized separately from any government to serve political and social goals at the community, national, and international levels.⁸-run classes shows that the classes have helped girls attend school and aided migrating children in retaining knowledge during their yearly transition between schools.¹¹³ The Accelerated Learning program introduced by Street Child helped 3,000 out-of-school girls re-enter education.¹¹⁴ On a broader scale, Street Child has been successful in impacting 10,306 children in Nepal either through direct enrollment or support in accessing school.¹¹⁵ This successful organization has made it possible for thousands of children not previously enrolled in school to gain an education at no cost.

Gaps

These classes may be cost-free and successful in enrolling children in school, but surveys show they are challenging to attend. The children were often too tired to learn after a full day’s work at the brick kilnsA manufacturing facility where clay blocks are burned into bricks. These industries have expanded following the 2015 earthquakes, which created a large demand for bricks.¹ and regretful if they decided to take classes instead of working. Because of the difficulty children have attending these classes, there is a limit to their impact.¹¹⁶ One of the major barriers to the success of educational support in brick-kiln communities is the lack of incentives and support. Children are often encouraged and enticed to work with their families during their migrationThe movement of a person or people from one country, locality, or place of residence to settle in another.⁷ to earn as much money as possible. Attending class is a difficult sacrifice to make when it takes away their opportunity to help provide for their families.¹¹⁷ Research has shown that children, parents, and the staff of an NGO working in Nepal all identified the children’s general lack of interest in education as problematic.¹¹⁸ For impactful change to happen in getting children of migrating families into school, the behavior toward general education needs to change. While Street Child focuses on providing educational services to children in brick kilns, it does not work to address negative attitudes toward education.¹¹⁹ Additionally, because Street Child does not provide outcome or impact data in its Annual Report, there is no evidence that it is effective in substantially impacting access to education for Nepalese children working in brick kilns.¹²⁰

Preferred Citation: Burgess, Eve. “Educational Barriers for Children in Nepalese Brick Kiln Communities.” Ballard Brief. June 2024. www.ballardbrief.byu.edu.

Viewpoints published by Ballard Brief are not necessarily endorsed by BYU or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints