It is disappointing to hear about child labor in this fast paced world as this problem has been around since those ancient days and it is still happening now. It’s like a never-ending problem. When we talk about child labor, we can relate it to child exploitation, child slavery and also child trafficking. Child labor can be defined as the exploitation of children under the age of 18 who are forced to work illegally, which can physically harm and psychologically abuse them. In this issue, we will discover the causes that contribute to child labor and also the solutions.
The first New York Times article online titled “Children in Bondage, Haiti’s Poorest of the Poor” is about child labor that occurred in Conaives, Haiti. Haiti, which had been hit by hurricanes and tropical storms, has turned its Haitian society from rich to poor and from poor to poor due to the devastating economic impacts brought about by the natural disaster. As a result, many poorer families found it difficult to meet their daily needs, especially food. The poorest parents had to work and send their children to rich families or to poor families that could feed their children at least once a day. Unfortunately, the children who were sent away did not receive free meals. They had to be servants and clean the host’s house while the other children went to school. Meanwhile, their parents had to work somewhere and they promised they would return once they could support their children.
In response to this article, I can see that natural disasters not only cause the destruction of buildings or other facilities, but also affect the economic situation of the affected country. Eventually, the unfortunate citizens have to face poverty and will be forced to work by those who cannot pay to send their children to school. Therefore, in my opinion, poor economic conditions lead to poverty and ultimately contribute to the problem of child labor. People facing poverty cannot afford to send their children to school and these unfortunate children cannot afford to lead a life like other children. The need for food, shelter and clothing leads their children into the trap of premature birth. However, poverty is not the only cause of child labor. Other common causes are parental illiteracy, low social status, lack of parental education and exposure, exploitation of cheap labor.
The second article in The Star (6 April 2010) titled “Begging Runs in the Family” features the Myanmar community begging for a living. A mother of five admitted that she used to beg with her mother when she was a child and now it seems her children are following in her footsteps. In Klang, the sight of children wandering around and begging for money has been a normal sight for decades. Beggar children, when asked about their parents, say that their parents are dead. Meanwhile, some of the beggar women deliberately got pregnant so they could have babies to carry and when the babies grow up, they are asked to beg like their mothers.
In response to the second article, I found that it is actually irresponsible for parents to pass on the culture of begging to their children. In my opinion, the main cause in the above case is the lack of education and exposure among parents about the importance of education. Children, regardless of their community or race, should be educated and sent to school. As for me, parents who ask their children to beg and work have a negative mindset. These types of parents only think about taking advantage of their own flesh and blood. If they are wise enough, they should know that education is the most important component of life that can help provide a better life for their children. Illiterate and ignorant parents do not understand the need for proper and healthy physical, cognitive and emotional development for their children. They themselves have no education or exposure, so they do not realize the importance of education for their children.
The third article in the Health and Style online magazine offers several solutions to child labor. It is mentioned that there are no magic solutions for this problem, but if collective efforts are made, the problems can be solved slowly. One of the solutions proposed in this article is to provide financial assistance to parents. In addition to that, free school admission should also be implemented to reduce the financial constraint on parents with poor financial background. Accepting abandoned working children into the Society’s homes could also help provide education for these unfortunate children. Other than that, law enforcement agencies need to be activated to protect child laborers by law. Finally, it is also proposed to improve economic conditions so that child labor does not continue.
I fully agree with all the solutions proposed in the above article. It is true that parents with poor financial backgrounds should receive financial help from interested parties such as the government. If financial aid is not provided, job opportunities can probably be offered to lighten your load. Parents also need to be educated about the importance of education in life so that they realize that asking their children to work will never help them out of poverty. In the meantime, free admission to school is a good idea to prevent poor children from committing themselves to childbirth. These children are mostly not sent to school due to financial problems. Therefore, by providing free admission to the school, parents would have no more excuses for not giving their children a proper education. However, this idea would have been better if the government provided not only free admission to school, but also free education. This means that textbooks and other things are given for free. In my opinion, an alternative measure, such as placing children in boarding schools, is also an effective way of providing them with an education. This will help the children to focus on their studies, while the parents can also concentrate on their work. Apart from that, law enforcement is also needed to protect child laborers by law. In fact, sending children to school should be compulsory. Finally, I fully agree that economic conditions must be improved so that child labor does not continue. This is because poor economic conditions can lead adults, especially parents, to engage in child labor as it is seen as one of the sources of funding.
In conclusion, poverty, lack of education, poor economic conditions and poor financial background are the causes of child labor that have been identified. There is no doubt that child labor is inhuman as children are exploited and forced to work for the benefit of others. Therefore, I am strongly opposed to this issue, as no matter what the reasons are, children have the right to lead a good life and enjoy their childhood like other lucky children. Earning a living by working or begging is never the responsibility of the child but of the parents. Children are the future generation that will lead our nation. Therefore, we must provide them with education so that they can be a healthy person. Remember, your failures are our failures.