Escolaridad y trabajo infantil: patrones y determinantes de la asignación del tiempo de niños y adolescentes en Lima Metropolitana[School and work: time allocation determinants among young cohorts in Lima Metropolitana]

This research study analyzed the patterns of time allocation, in particular, the consequences of child labor on the accumulation of schooling among children and adolescents. Methodologically, the investigation had two stages. The first one, based on national household survey data, analyzed the evolution and trends of child labor and schooling during recent years. The second stage consisted of the analysis of primary information, quantitative and qualitative, and included household surveys, matrixes of time allocation, focus groups, photographic reconstructions and ethnographic work. Fieldwork was conducted in three sites in Metropolitan Lima which are characterized by high rates of "hazardous child labor": (i) Recycling of solid waste (Lomas de Carabayllo, Northern Lima), (ii) brick manufacture (Huachipa , Eastern Lima) and (iii) ambulatory trade (Market No. 1 "La Parada"). The results of secondary data evidenced that there is still a need for a standardized methodology for gathering information on child and adolescent labor. Finally, based on the results, it was concluded that: (i) Education and participation in economic activities are complementary activities in terms of allocation of time, (ii) competition in the allocation of time puts pressure on the quality of educational outcomes, (iii) there are still differences by gender and (iv) the use of mixed research techniques facilitates obtaining more complex explanations. Also, based on the findings, it is recommended to: (i) Emphasize the implementation of conditional cash transfers’ programs (ii) generate and consolidate existing information systems, (iii) promote joint interventions in alliance with other actors and (iv) facilitate spaces for the dissemination of research results.