Child labour is a critical obstacle in the path
of children's development and society's sustainable
development. Children who must spend the most
important stage of their lives striving merely
to survive are denied the opportunity to develop
to their full potential. Many of the world's 246
million child labourers are denied their fundamental
rights, including the right to education. Discovering
and learning to your fullest potential during
childhood determines what opportunities will be
available not only to the individual but also
to the next generations to follow. A fully educated
society is assured of breaking the cycle of poverty.
There are many factors which contribute to the
existence of child labour: poverty, illiteracy,
globalisation, cultural traditions and class disparities.
However, the absence of education is one of the
primary factors which prevents us from protecting
children from all forms of economic exploitation.
Education is the vehicle through which people
are empowered to improve their quality of life
and by which they are protected from all forms
of exploitation. In the current unfortunate scenario
where the international community has failed to
provide education for all, there is an undeniable
evidence of continuing, and in some cases increasing,
problems of child labour. To eliminate child labour,
it is imperative that we establish free, compulsory,
equal and quality education for all children.
It is important to understand the role of education
in the building of a society. Education gives
people the means to participate in the workings
of their society, and both facilitates and encourages
upward mobility. Education gives people the ability
to envision an improved future for themselves
and their communities, and provides them with
the skills to work towards this improvement.
The Global March applauds ILO 138 Minimum Age
Convention in its emphasis on the value of education
as a concrete factor in the elimination of child
labour. The Convention stipulates that the permissible
age of entry into employment "shall not be
less than the age of completion of compulsory
schooling and, in any case, shall not be less
than 15 years." (C138, 2.3). The critical
link between education for all and the elimination
of child labour should be similarly recognised
and implemented in all discourse and action on
either subject.
ILO Convention 138 allows children aged between
13 and 15 to engage in light work, provided that
the work is "(a) not likely to be harmful
to their health or development; and (b) not such
as to prejudice their attendance at school, their
participation in vocational orientation or training
programmes approved by the competent authority
or their capacity to benefit from the instruction
received" (C138, 7.1). It should be recognised
that child labour in the cases described as acceptable
by the Convention can still be harmful if it interferes
with a child's ability to participate in his or
her education to the fullest possible extent.
Attendance at school is not the only factor in
ensuring the participation in quality education.
The international community must act to ensure
that every child has the opportunity to perform
at the highest possible level. Every child must
be able to learn without undue distractions or
duress from work.
The Global March firmly believes that ending the
economic exploitation of children can only be
possible when free, compulsory and quality education
is assured for all children regardless of gender,
race, religion, and social or economic status.
The elimination of child labour and education
for all are two sides of one coin. One cannot
be achieved without provision for the other. With
governments, international agencies and civil
society committing not to let education for all
fail due to lack of funds, the elimination of
child labour becomes a realistic goal. All stakeholders
must take this inseparable relationship into account
in their policy making, law enforcement, budgetary
measures and developmental aid in order for all
children to enjoy their childhood with books,
not tools in their tiny hands. |
