Jun 12 2008
World Day Against Child Labor, Say Yes to Education!
World Day against Child Labor (WDACL), 12th June, is a day celebrated across the globe each year to fight child labor. This year the day focuses on “Education, The Right Response to End Trafficking and Child Labor”.
Elimination of child labor and education for all are two sides of the same coin. Thousands of activities are held across the world to focuses on the need to improve access of children to education as the right response to child labor.
The only way to eliminate exploitation of children is free, compulsory and quality education for all, regardless of gender, race, religion, and social or economic status, as felt by all including the experts and social workers.
Education creates awareness of the right and duties of a person. This is the only media by which children can get awareness about their surroundings and the proper way to lead life.
The ILO has estimated that some 165 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 are involved in child labor. Many of these children work long hours, often in dangerous conditions. Their innocence gets lost in working for long hours for small amount of money. Their childhood is exploited by people for their little profits.
Many people don’t send their children to school because of poverty. Financial problems are the main reason. In place of school the kids are then sent for tiring jobs for small money.
Dropout’s school children specially remain a major concern, though the government has initiated many schemes. However, mid-day meal the lucrative scheme aimed to attract children to schools, is not helping the purpose of ensuring 100 per cent attendance. Reasons cited for dropouts are many, like poverty which compels children to work. Nevertheless, negligence of teachers in government schools worsens the situation.
Raman Magsaysay Awardee and Chairperson of National Commission for protection of Child Rights, Shantha Sinha says “The only way to eliminate the menace is to educate children, which is anyway a fundamental right of every child enshrined in the Constitution. Article- 21 (A) guarantees free and compulsory education to every child in the age group of 6-14.”
Government should come forward with major steps to achieve 100% education. Some of the steps can be:
- Free and compulsory education
- Provision of girls education
- Ensuring proper faculty and trained teachers
- Providing catch up education opportunities for children and youth who have so far missed out on formal schooling
- Enforcing laws on child labor and education in line with international standards
- Tackling poverty
- Raising public awareness to tackle child labor
- Promoting human rights and development
Not only the government but public should be aware of this need of education for all. Educated people should keep an eye in their vicinity and should teach others. A combined effort by all will help to eliminate child labor and will provide an educated society.
