– public education programme to be piloted to curb truancy
The Ministries of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, and Education, in collaboration with the European Union (EU), yesterday launched a series of activities in observance of World Day Against Child Labour and a public education programme, “Tackling Child Labour Through Education (TACKLE), in a concerted effort to increase school attendance.
Minister of Labour, Manzoor Nadir, in his address said, that, Guyana is a signatory to 182 and 138 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention that deals with child labour, and in 1994 the minimum age for entry into the work force was raised to 15 to harmonise the age of leaving school with the age of entry into the work force.
“We have maintained in Guyana that we want to ensure that people do not confuse child labour with child work,” the Minister said.
He explained that the Employment of Young Persons Act permits children in their family business (chores) providing that this does not, in any way, hinder their education.
“Anytime you are going to hire a child under 15, and pay them wages, you are engaging in child labour,” he asserted.
Minister Nadir posited that all the studies carried out in Guyana thus far have proven that child labour is not prevalent; however, the level of truancy remains relatively high.
Minister of Education, Shaik Baksh, said that a public education programme is more of a preventative technique in the sense that it raises awareness of the importance of keeping children in school so that they can complete the cycle of education.
He noted that there is the political commitment on the part of Government to provide learning institutions with the necessary resources. However, it is recognised that as children get older, there is a lure, particularly in rural communities, for parents to send their children to engage in economic activities.
Minister Baksh said that his Ministry has designed several remedial programmes for low performers. He added that during the July-August period, a remedial programme will be offered to ensure that all children move on to the next level.
“Strong remediation is important because we feel as long as a child is literate and numerate, the chances of that child dropping out of school are fewer,” he said.
He added that from September, a new system will be implemented whereby there will no repetition as in the primary school system. However, more emphasis will be placed on remediation.
The Minister affirmed that the structure of the school system needs to be changed from an authoritative to a more child-friendly environment.
He further added that Government has over the years expended huge sums in the education system to ensure that the future generation is fully geared to lead productive lives.
And while in some parts of the world 72 million primary school age and 71 million secondary school age children are not attending school, Guyana is in a much better position. This, he said, is a direct result of the many programmes and interventions that Government has adopted.
The launching saw the support of the acting fraternity, who will be conveying the message through ‘edutainment’, educating while entertaining, the Guyana Trade Union Congress (GTUC) and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG).
Additionally, two posters with the message to fight child labour were launched. One through a collaborative effort between the Labour Ministry and the Alpha United Football Team, and the other was endorsed by the Ministry of Education.
Child labour is the employment of underage children. World Day Against Child Labour will be observed on June 12, as was designated in 2002 by the ILO. Government has since executed many programmes to sensitise its population to recognise the ills of child labour. (GINA)