Debate on Child Labor Essay Example

are suffering at any given time from a health problem caused by water and sanitation deficits. In addition to this poverty can contribute to the cause of diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. So, how do these countries flooded with poverty attempt to combat these horrible circumstances? One widely practiced solution is the use of child labor to provide an income to families that are impaired by poverty.

Data collected from studies done by University of Iowa on Vietnam, Pakistan, and Peru defend the notion that the majority of children that are working come from families in poverty. The children of these families need to work in order to bring their families sufficient funds for survival. This need is prevalent in areas such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America where poverty affects a vast percentage of the population. “Based on enrollment data, about 72 million children of primary school age in the developing world were not in school in 2005; 57 percent of them were girls.

And these are regarded as optimistic numbers” (Shah). These statistics perfectly illustrate the fact that there are not adequate schools and teachers in these areas to provide schooling to the children. Child labor is not preventing children from getting an education; it is simply the most beneficial thing for these children to do because they are unable to attend school. Although it is not a formal education, working at least gives these children some sort of skill that can be used in their future.

For the well off, educated population, living in America, it is very easy to forget that some of the everyday basics we are so accustomed to, such

as clean water, food, and education, are luxuries that many people in less developed countries are not so fortunate to have. In a country with nearly a 99% literacy rate (World Factbook), almost every child in the US has the opportunity to attend school rather than work. It is very easy to criticize the idea of child labor from the outside but for these families and countries it is a reality and necessity.

It is not due to a lack of human rights it is due to human need. Children in America do not work simply because they do not have to. They have the opportunity to be educated. So, while critics can look down on the practice of child labor, until there is another source that provides them with their needs for survival, these children must continue to work. Our company could fire these children and implement the age requirements of the US, but the reality of the situation is that these countries do not have the means to support our requirements.

The evident alternative to working is school so that children can have a brighter future. If by dismissing them from work, they can go straight into a nice, well-staffed school, that’d be great, but more than likely this is not the case. In India’s case, the educational system is not of good quality and is lacking necessary resources to function optimally. One study found that “teachers lack teaching kits in 67 percent of rural primary schools, that 89 percent of rural primary schools do not have a toilet, and that 25 percent of teachers were not in school when they were supposed to be

teaching.

That same study estimated that if all children…actually attended, there would be 113 pupils per classroom” (eJournal USA). This is why parents often find the benefit of sending their children to work: shaping their morals, building character, and learning a trade, to exceed the costs of sending them through school. Although organizations like UNICEF and ILO are funding the establishment of better school systems in these developing countries, there is only so many that this helps; the vast number of remaining children and families are left to hope that aid will come their way (Vaknin).

With the change of the minimum working age, families who have children working in the factory lose a percentage of their total family income, driving them further into poverty. Banning child labor seems to be the globalizing trend, but the effects in developing countries could be more detrimental than beneficial. In Latin American countries where children work, the average family income is a mere $80 (USD) per month. For 34% of these families, earnings by children (ages 5 – 17) account for more than 20% of the family income; for 13% of families, children account for 40% of income (Hindman 346).

For these families, the wages that children bring in are crucial for their survival. If there were to be an outright ban on child labor, these families would suffer greatly, unable to support themselves. The children may search for alternatives where they could find some means of income, most likely with lower wages and worse conditions. This was the case in 1992, when the United States made legislation that banned import on clothing made by children, defined as those younger than

14. This restriction put around 50,000 children, mainly girls, out of jobs in Bangladesh.

To make any kind of money, many turned to “stone-crushing, street hustling and prostitution – all more hazardous and exploitative than garment making” (Child Day & Bangladesh). With the sudden legislation taken by the US, with good morals in mind, thousands of children were forced into more terrible situations, needing aid from UNICEF and other anti-child labor organizations. Although the help from these organizations were great, the long term effects and broader child labor population were not kept in mind. What were families going to do after the financial aid stopped?

Continuous aid was not a part of UNICEF and partnering organization’s plans, so families being supported by them had to figure out a way to bring in income after aid ceased. Their project also particularly emphasized families affected by the garment industry, not looking at the other, just as deserving, industry families. With a sudden halt in the use of child labor, developing countries will feel negative effects. Economically speaking, labor costs are the highest part of production so with a ban or change in law of child labor, product prices will be more expensive.

When the product prices increase, making them less competitive, importing countries will tend to import less, which means less exports for the producing countries. With the decreasing exporting of goods, the economy of these countries, reliant on exports, will suffer. Rather than being on the fast track to economic growth, these countries will have to slow down in their efforts. Companies who used to be able to employ workers with reasonable wages must now cut back on the

number of employees or their individual wages to offset the loss in sales.

By doing so, many families will be affected by the cutbacks. The altering of child labor laws and restrictions would act as a stimulus to the cycle of poverty. Child labor, contrary to people’s belief, does have its benefits, positively impacting millions of families. The most commonly known benefit is the additional income each family receives. Child labor occurs mostly in families battling poverty therefore, the income generated by child labor is crucial to these families.

Through child labor, children are able to help their families survive poverty by providing food and shelter to help support the family. In addition, child labor allows children to provide and potentially afford education for their younger siblings. Child labor gives children the chance to improve the standard of living of their younger siblings, in addition to paying for the education of those younger siblings. Therefore, families benefit from child labor by gaining the opportunity to improve the lives of their children with the additional income.

Child labor benefits poor families with additional income, which is financial vital to these families. Furthermore, while most people argue that child labor forces children out of schools, this is not true. In fact, many children combine school and work, obtaining both education and income. According to a 2004 study performed by the Foundation for International Research on Working Children in Peru, many working children between six and seventeen years old combine work with school, with only 5. 4 percent of them completely dropping out of school (Van den Berge 5).

By combining work and school, children are able to get an education while

helping provide for their families. Moreover, the education in some areas of the world is so expensive and inferior that some families benefit more from having the children work rather than attend school. The level of education offered in various countries is so low that parents are not attracted to the idea of investing in education for the children. Parents are then forced to weigh the values of education and work, often valuing child labor more than education.

According to a study in rural India, sixty-seven percent of primary schools do not have teaching kits and twenty-five percent of teachers were absent when they were supposed to be teaching (eJournal USA). With data such as this, many families refrain from getting a poor education for the children and instead choose to have their children work. Additionally, these working children obtain many skills and lessons through working. Therefore, to make up for the poor level of education offered, child labor enables children to attain useful skills and experiences which will make them productive members of society in the future.

Most importantly, child labor keeps children off the streets and away from hazardous conditions. Millions of children are kept away from drugs and prostitutions and into working and supporting for themselves thanks to child labor. Actually, most working children work alongside their parents, most commonly in farms or around the household. For example, in 2000, UNICEF surveyed over 120 million children between ages five and fourteen, finding out that while 70 percent of those children worked in some type of job, only three percent worked in the formal market (eJournal USA).

Hence, the belief that child labor is always associated

with terrible and hazardous working conditions is not an accurate representation of child labor, since most working children work with or for their parents. Child labor offers children the opportunity to generate income and contribute to their families’ financial status while working at decent jobs, often involving their parents, instead of jobs involving dangerous or hazardous conditions such as prostitutes or drug trafficking.

Child labor, above all, benefits society by keeping children off the streets, away from drugs, and away from jobs with harmful working conditions. According to the American Mathematical Society, Mexico is considered a developing nation, and is another perfect example why child labor benefits some countries (American Mathematical Society). The numbers we got from the US Department of Labor say that there are about 8 to 11 million children under the age of 15 working Mexico. The Mexican Constitution establishes that 14 is the minimum age for work, and many regulations have been set up.

For example, a child may not work underground or underwater, work after 10 P. M. , work for more than six hours a day, work for more than three hours without a one hour break, etc. The reason why so many children work at such a young age is because education is not available to all, for it is very costly. Moreover, approximately 45% of students who succeed in enrolling in grade school end up dropping out before completing the basic elementary and secondary education (United States Department of Labor - The Bureau of International Labor Affairs).

Because so many children stop receiving education, they are exposed to other things like prostitution, and drugs. The best alternative to deal with

these children is to give something to take their mind off things: a job. Not only does this job allow them to make some money for their families, but it also teaches them to stay off the streets, learn the value of money, and develop a sense of maturity and responsibility. Unfortunately, many developing countries are currently in the same situation as Mexico.

If our firm, AssembleHere were to purchase an existing factory in one of the developing countries, and create jobs for these children, AssembleHere would not only be helping itself, but the children of the respective countries as well. Of course, AssembleHere will follow each country’s regulations on child labor, and as long as it is acceptable, proceed with the child employment. The existence of poverty and limited access to education in developing countries leads to a need for child labor.

While child labor is not a desirable situation it is currently a necessity in these nations and the most beneficial option, when weighed against the alternatives. Until successful measures can be taken in reducing poverty and increasing accessibility to education child labor will be present in these nations. Our company, Assemble Here, plans to employ children above the minimum age requirement in our foreign factory. We will provide them with an admirable working opportunity, compared to the abusive labor they may have to subject themselves to, if our firm were to fire them.