by a Special Correspondent
(June 12, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Day Against child Labour was launched by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2002 as a platform to highlight the global extent of child labour and to focus new attention on action to eliminate it.
Recent ILO data indicates that there are 165 million child labourers worldwide between the ages of five and 14 ,of which 74 million are exposed to hazardous work.
International data on education enrolment shows that 72 million children of primary school age are not enrolled in school, with girls cited as being even less likely to be in school than boys.
When compared within the Asian region ,Sri Lanka has creditable achievements in aspects of education, such as, school enrolment, literacy and gender equity. However, the country is faced with increasing levels of poverty due to the rising cost of living.
And in this backdrop as we observe this year’s World Day Against Child Labour, attention would be on raising awareness that education is the right response to child labour.
In Sri Lanka, the commemoration of this day comes amid heavy lobbying by educators to change the compulsory schooling age from fourteen to sixteen years. This change is among the ten proposals handed over to the Minister of Education, Susil Premajayantha, by the All Ceylon Union of teachers and Education International affiliates in Sri Lanka last month.
Therefore a key focus in Sri Lanka this year is on the role of teachers in combating child labour. There is a series of seminars this month scheduled to be carried out by the above mentioned teachers’ unions in 12 districts, sponsored by the ILO and the International Program on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC), to create awareness among teachers on how they could help in preventing child labour.
As Angela Wijesinghe, General Secretary of the All Ceylon Union of Teachers points out, with increasing poverty, child labour in Sri Lanka is fast becoming a survival option for many rural families.
There-fore a comprehensive government policy is stressed to combat circumstances that force children to drop out of school.
"Sri Lanka does not have a national education policy. We only have certain principles laid down with regard to a child’s right to education. This is not sufficient to ensure that all the children of this country, irrespective of race, religion, area of residence or any other difference, are ensured quality education," notes Wijesinghe.
She further points out that the need of the moment is a social safety net for poor families, more scholarships for needy children and opportunities of work with adequate pay for adults.
Poverty, the addiction of parents to alcohol and drugs as well as the migration of mothers to the Middle-East for employment that result in the neglect of children, are some of the most common reasons for child labour in Sri Lanka.
In the North and East of the country the ethnic conflict, the threat by terrorism and the recruitment of child soldiers are key reasons that induce poverty and force children to work in the most dangerous of circumstances.
While much of the present recruitment of children is for shops and markets, the educational authorities concerned should also take note of the large numbers of street children who do not have any access at all to education.
These children could be easy prey to sexual exploitation that could forever end their chances of education.
Clearly, it should be reiterated that if we are to wipe out child labour what is compulsory is to provide a system of education that would equip students, irrespective of their social strata, with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes, to empower them and make them employable and productive citizens.
The National Education Commission (NEC) appointed in 1991, after studying the memoranda received from professional associations, trade unions, university community, teachers, political parties and the general public, submitted their recommendations in 1997.
A programme for the implementation of the reforms began in 1999 and as we head towards the future, the importance of the need for continuing our interest in providing an innovative and consistent educational structure suited to all our children has to be stressed.
To achieve this what is primarily needed is the co-operation of the country’s citizens and most importantly the political will of governments to stay focused in their efforts to put an end to child labour.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
(June 12, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Day Against child Labour was launched by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2002 as a platform to highlight the global extent of child labour and to focus new attention on action to eliminate it.
Recent ILO data indicates that there are 165 million child labourers worldwide between the ages of five and 14 ,of which 74 million are exposed to hazardous work.
International data on education enrolment shows that 72 million children of primary school age are not enrolled in school, with girls cited as being even less likely to be in school than boys.
When compared within the Asian region ,Sri Lanka has creditable achievements in aspects of education, such as, school enrolment, literacy and gender equity. However, the country is faced with increasing levels of poverty due to the rising cost of living.
And in this backdrop as we observe this year’s World Day Against Child Labour, attention would be on raising awareness that education is the right response to child labour.
In Sri Lanka, the commemoration of this day comes amid heavy lobbying by educators to change the compulsory schooling age from fourteen to sixteen years. This change is among the ten proposals handed over to the Minister of Education, Susil Premajayantha, by the All Ceylon Union of teachers and Education International affiliates in Sri Lanka last month.
Therefore a key focus in Sri Lanka this year is on the role of teachers in combating child labour. There is a series of seminars this month scheduled to be carried out by the above mentioned teachers’ unions in 12 districts, sponsored by the ILO and the International Program on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC), to create awareness among teachers on how they could help in preventing child labour.
As Angela Wijesinghe, General Secretary of the All Ceylon Union of Teachers points out, with increasing poverty, child labour in Sri Lanka is fast becoming a survival option for many rural families.
There-fore a comprehensive government policy is stressed to combat circumstances that force children to drop out of school.
"Sri Lanka does not have a national education policy. We only have certain principles laid down with regard to a child’s right to education. This is not sufficient to ensure that all the children of this country, irrespective of race, religion, area of residence or any other difference, are ensured quality education," notes Wijesinghe.
She further points out that the need of the moment is a social safety net for poor families, more scholarships for needy children and opportunities of work with adequate pay for adults.
Poverty, the addiction of parents to alcohol and drugs as well as the migration of mothers to the Middle-East for employment that result in the neglect of children, are some of the most common reasons for child labour in Sri Lanka.
In the North and East of the country the ethnic conflict, the threat by terrorism and the recruitment of child soldiers are key reasons that induce poverty and force children to work in the most dangerous of circumstances.
While much of the present recruitment of children is for shops and markets, the educational authorities concerned should also take note of the large numbers of street children who do not have any access at all to education.
These children could be easy prey to sexual exploitation that could forever end their chances of education.
Clearly, it should be reiterated that if we are to wipe out child labour what is compulsory is to provide a system of education that would equip students, irrespective of their social strata, with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes, to empower them and make them employable and productive citizens.
The National Education Commission (NEC) appointed in 1991, after studying the memoranda received from professional associations, trade unions, university community, teachers, political parties and the general public, submitted their recommendations in 1997.
A programme for the implementation of the reforms began in 1999 and as we head towards the future, the importance of the need for continuing our interest in providing an innovative and consistent educational structure suited to all our children has to be stressed.
To achieve this what is primarily needed is the co-operation of the country’s citizens and most importantly the political will of governments to stay focused in their efforts to put an end to child labour.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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