Problem of Child Labour and Education

Poverty is cited as the major cause of child lobour. Children want to study but they have get unsatisfactory educational resources. Moreover government is providing financial help to poor families this help must reach the needy and not be wasted in useless hands. The health care and counseling service should also be extended to these children and their parents. The steps have brought certain changes but still a lot remains to be done to get the desired goals. Article 39 (e) of Indian Constitution direct states policy such that “The health and strength of workers...................................... and the tender age of children are not abused and that citizens are not forced by economic necessity to vocation unsuited to their age or strength”. The constitution of India clearly states that child labour in any form is wrong and measures should be taken to end it. From the time of independence, India has considered itself to be against child labour. In spite of this India is the biggest example of a nation plagued by the problem of child labour. The problem does not have an easy solution. Various laws, rules have brought some changes and the issue has been considered in context of human rights and development also, but the desired results in this direction still remain unachieved. Children are growing up as illiterates because they spend their time working and not attending school. A cycle of poverty is formed and the need for child labour is reborn after every generation. There is a dire need to know the prominent causes which are responsible for these issues. Even though, poverty is cited as the major cause of child labour it is not the only determinate. Inadequate number of child lab our schools their inefficiency or even the expenses of schooling leave some children with little else to do but work. The attitude of parents might also contribute to child labour; some parents feel that the children should work in order to develop skills useful in the job market, instead of taking advantage of a formal education. Child labour is a source of income for poor families. A study conducted by the ILO Bureau of Statistics found that Children’s work was considered essential to maintain the economic level of households, either in the forms of work for wages, or help in household members for economic activity elsewhere. Some essential facts in this context from the news in Kanpur are:- 1. 200 children between the age 8-10 years’ work for about 12hrs at Kanpur central railway station. Family pressure has forced them to work. To ward off tiredness they inhale rubber solution, though constantly driven away from the station by Railway Protection force, there is no change in their schedule of work. 2. The survey team has to face money problems and ill-treatment due to opposition by the employers of the child laborers. Moreover the children are removed from the working place as the survey team approaches. 3. In the venture carried by labour department more children were seen working in the season of Diwali, Dussehra festivals. 4. Under INDUS project the team of International Labor Organization surveyed the child labour schools in Kanpur and schemes to educate these children were put forward. Besides awareness programmes were also organized to mark the occasion of International Anti Child Labour Day. It was said that 4000 children would benefit from INDUS project. The news also reveals that the poverty is the most prominent cause of child labour. It was also found that all child labourers belong to large families. Their parents have large numbers of children because of which the children are unable to study and forced to work. Though child labourers and their parents feel that education is essential and can lead to success in life, but still they are unable to study and bound by poverty, to support and give financial help to their families. Their parents cannot feed and support them, the children have to earn for their livelihood. Their health and growth suffers. Sometimes when these children are interviewed they are not ready to answer the question. Their parents say if they will not work what they will eat. If they will earn they can get food and give economic support to the family. Moreover, their being engaged in work can prohibit the children from getting involved in illegal activities. So it is not morally unfair to keep the children as labourers. The child labourers want to study because they think that education is essential and can give them success in life. Their parents to have the same desire but they are gripped by the chains of poverty. The basic necessities of life are food, clothes and shelter. When these necessities are met then one thinks or goes for other necessities. In the case of child labourers, the truth of life is that they are born in poverty and live in poverty throughout their life. They have to strive hard for basic necessities. What is the reason for their poor economic status generation after generation? An essential fact that has come out is that child labourers belong to large and joint families. The parents too are not in good health because they too have started working in their childhood. The number of children in the family is high. Thus a cycle of poverty is formed and the need for child labour is reborn after every generation. Another noteworthy fact which was revealed from the study is that the child laborers have no time to study. Moreover most of them don’t want to study along with the work. They and their parents cannot see the immediate benefits of studying so they are inclined towards working and earning money. The problem of child labour is difficult and does not have an easy solution. The International Labour organization has launched many projects to tackle the problem. The government of India has also framed various rules and regulations and taken steps in this direction for an instance, the project of National Child Labour was started in 1988. Many Non-government organizations (NGO’s) too have worked for the education of poor children. On 12th June 2002, first Anti Child Labour Day was organized by the International Labour Organization. On this occasion many countries including India took a resolution to fight this problem, associated with poverty and illiteracy, and eradicate it. Education for all and poverty

All these steps have brought certain changes but still a lot remains to be done to get the desired goals in this problem. Not only education, various other social issues should also be taken into account. There is a strict necessity of awareness programmes for child labourers and their parents. These programmes can help to acquaint them with fatal consequences of child labour. To reduce their poverty level there should be lesser number of children in the family. If the number of children is one or two they can think of education for their children. They should be made to realize that education and health care can change their attitude towards life. Moreover government is providing financial help to poor families; this help must reach the needy and not be wasted in useless hands. The health care and counseling service should also be extended to these children and their parents. Employment opportunities’ and ways other than child labour should be provided to increase their family income. It is well known fact that prevention of disease is better than cure so the objective of programmes in this direction should be to enhance the skill and ability of such families.

• Burra, Neera (1995): Born to work: Child Labour in India ;U.S.A., Oxford University Press.

• Periodicals:-

• BalShram (2004): Rocktham, Rural Development Magazine yojna, May, 23-55 pp.

• Balshram (2005): Roti Aur Samasyan, Chronicle Magazine, Feb.18-19 pp.

 News Section- Times of India, Dainik Jagran, Amar Ujala Internet Search- www.google.com, www.wikipedia,org.