Every year, June 12th is observed by countries across the globe as ‘ World Day Against Child Labour.’ India has the highest number of child labourers in the world.
India has 10.3 million child labourers. Of these,whopping 70% are girls. Child labour is the work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to their physical and mental development. Child labour deprives them of the opportunity to attend school, obliging them to leave school prematurely, or requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work.
Generally working children in the five to fourteen years age group are classified as child labourers. Child labour exists in India for several reasons. The biggest cause of child labour has been identified as poverty. Families with scant resources force underage children to work.
It is therefore our responsibility to raise our hands against child labour and contribute towards its eradication. In order to raise awareness on child labour, Students of standard 9th D conducted an assembly on Anti-Child Labour Day which included a speech and a skit. The skit highlighted the reasons of child labour and its effects on childhood. The skit also depicted the menial labour done by the unfortunate children and it also gave the message on the need of education for the under-privileged children.
On this day our Principal Ms. Sharmistha Sinha addressed our students. She said, “We should sensitise our society at large on the sensitive issue of child labour. By taking small steps, we can reduce the number of children who join work at an early age. Students should report to Child line if they see a child working illegally on the road side. Our students can educate parents of child labourers on the options of municipal schools. Stressing the need to change the society she emphasised that, We should not employ children as house help and should convey this message to our extended families and friends.”
