Where child labour is known to all, its effects and impact is least bothered. Still today employers ignore the legal minimum age of employment. Some think it as giving an opportunity for jobs, which would enhance the economic growth at an early stage or build up one’s maturity level in handling responsibilities. Whereas others refers it as depriving children’s right, like education.
According to Maggie Atkinson, Children’s Commissioner, ‘putting through extra hours of work when their schooling is as demanding as it is –for some youngsters, it would be the last straw’. However, research by University College London shows how part-time jobs have no significant effect on studies.
It seems that there are two ways of seeing child labour: first where a child suffering with poverty takes it as a source of income, disregarding his other rights. Secondly, where a child is financially well-supported, he sees it as an opportunity to get a taste of the real world out there. So does poverty plays a significant role in the increase of hazardous child labour?
In fact, it is probably poverty which brought in the worst form of child labour (factory work, mining, prostitution, and even trafficking); it can no longer be seen as just giving the younger generation a chance to develop them.
International laws, conventions and regulations on child labour however have had a substantial impact on the fall of the rate of child labour. Nevertheless, in order to eliminate child labour countries like, India, Burma, Seirra Leone, having a higher rate of child labour must ratify such conventions soon.
Definitely, relying on laws and enforcement is insufficient. Therefore, it requires other human interventions, like campaigning, to fight against child labour.
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