Child Labour In India
Child labour involves making a child who is below the age of 18 years work and this work either harms the child or prevents the child from attending school, or both. India experiences the greatest levels of this type of labour around the globe. Actually, children who work in India make up 25% of all the child labour in the world.
Reasons for child labour in India and how it happens
Child labour in India happens because of two main reasons. The first one is the high poverty levels across the country. These levels are so high that it is even hard to afford food. The poverty level is attributed to the exploitation of the employees by their employers across most industries. As a result of this poverty, children usually have to try to get some extra coin at least for the purpose of getting some food. The other reason for this type of labour is the low quality of education system in India. This system does not equip children with skills that can help them earn a decent living. Therefore, parents and the children themselves are not motivated to attend school. Even though child labour is still a challenge in India, the government and some NGOs are really trying to control the situation. One way these two are using is the non-formal education program. This program allows children to work for some hours during mornings and attend classes later. This way, the children are able to get some income and something to eat, while still being able to learn.
How to control Child Labour in India
One way that the Indian government could help in reducing the country’s level of child labour is to provide cheap health services. These services are very important especially for the children. This way, child mortality levels will reduce. With low child mortality rates, parents will not wish to have many children for purposes of ensuring some of them grow into adulthood. They will rather have children they can provide for comfortably. Consequently, children will be taken to school and provided with basic needs without any need for them to work. Another solution to this menace would be educating parents. When parents understand the importance of taking their children to school and the dangers of child labour, then they will keep their children away from labouring.
One challenge that the government faces in controlling child labour is the fact that it is always informal. Moreover, charging a parent would only worsen a child’s situation.