…participants in World Day Against Child Labour told
“EDUCATION is the key to a child’s successful future.” This statement was made by Coordinator, Tackle Project, Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, Ms Sharon Patterson, when she addressed a rally at Parika, East Bank Essequibo, yesterday. The rally, preceded by a march, was organized by the Schools Welfare Division of the Regional Department of Education – Region Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara) in observance of “World Day Against Child Labour.”
During the march, the children chanted slogans and bore placards which highlighted the theme of this year’s observance. The official day was observed internationally on June 12, under the theme: “Child Labour can hurt: let’s stay in school.”
Among the audience were Region Three Chairman Julius Faerber, regional education officials, Chief Schools Welfare Officer Carol Melville, teachers and pupils from nearby schools and residents from the community.
Ms Patterson stated that child labour has harmful effects, noting that it affects the mental, moral, physical and social well-being of a child. She pointed out that over 215 million children globally are involved in child labour and argued that poverty may be the cause.
She however insisted that child labour cannot alleviate poverty.
Patterson said, “We, the educators, parents, and the community in general, have a sacred responsibility to ensure that our children get the best of education, since it is the surest way of unlocking the child’s potential.”
Ms Patterson noted that children have their ideals, and urged parents, teachers and educators to help them acquire the necessary skills to become professionals.
Faerber, in his remarks, noted that children are valuable assets and urged them to stay focused on their educational pursuits. He reminded the audience that government, over the years, has been spending huge sums of monies to create a conducive environment for learning.