Will children be asked to work more and learn less? The impact of agrarian incomes on education in Tanzania

Environmental conditions in Africa are favorable for a multitude of agricultural crops, making economic growth through the agriculture sector an attractive choice for African leaders. Policy makers are focusing efforts on agriculture in hopes of increasing household incomes and providing the means for other development goals, including education. Still, farming requires more labor hours than other means of income generation. If these poverty alleviation policies are providing incentives for families to keep children home from school, the short term benefits of increased income will be offset by the long term consequences of an uneducated generation.Research exists showing the positive impact of education on human development and economic prosperity. Research also illustrates the negative impact of child labor on educational attainment. However, linking the effects of agrarian income on children's labor hours and education has yet to be established. This analysis attempts to fill this gap.Using a robust probit regression analysis this work analyzes the effects of labor-intense agrarian livelihood on child labor hours and school attendance in Tanzania. The study finds that income has an impact on school attendance, and an increase in household responsibilities decreases the probability that a child will attend school. The results of this study imply that economic policies focused on improving the productivity of agriculture must be coupled with education policies to offset the opportunity cost families face sending children to school.