If you didn’t go to school it would be really weird because it’s what you’re used to. All of your friends go and your parents did too-its normal. In Britain it’s what’s expected, and until you’re 16 it’s the law. But in poorer countries; starting work as young as 5 years old has become normal too. Young people end up working in factories for as little as 40p a day. The reason why these children are employed is brutal but true. They’re cheap and easy to manipulate. They take any kind of work they can find because there desperate.
Many organisations believe it’s the responsibility of the major shopping chains and designer clothes manufacturers to ensure that no-one is exploited just to put clothes on their shelves. However many companies aren’t aware that their clothes are being made in factories that use child labour. Recently more and more big companies have been doing spot checks to investigate where their clothes are being made and by whom.
According to the international labour organisation some 250 million children work in developing world poor countries like India, and parts of Africa, Latin America and Asia. One in three African children work full or part time. It is thought about 80% of children’s work is unpaid. Most children work because of poverty.
Deprived of much needed income most of the children are forced to take on harmful, less well paid work, including prostitution, household servants, rug makers and street traders. No parent wants to see there child work.
It’s hazardous, exploitive and toxic on the other hand though if they did not work they would die of starvation or illness, they bring in lots of family income, it may improve opportunities for education and health and it earns the money to keep themselves in school.