Argumentative Essay: Child Labour

Outline

I.                   Introduction

A.    Definition of Child Labour

B.     Thesis statement

II.                Background of Child Labour

III.             Pro-Arguments

A.    Pro-argument 1: Through child labour, children will learn how to become productive, independent, and mature.

B.     Pro-argument 2: Working children are essential for survival of many families especially in poor countries.

C.     Pro-argument 3: Boycotts made against the laws which were created to prevent child labour will lead to consequences such as harming the children rather than helping them.

IV.             Con Arguments

A.    Con argument 1: Child labour deprives children of their childhood and potentials.

B.     Con argument 2: Child labour removes the dignity and freedom of children.

C.     Con argument 3: There are other dangers involved in child labour, such as child slavery, child prostitution, child soldiers, and child trafficking.

V.                Refutation of the counter-arguments

VI.             Conclusion

A.    Summary

B.     Recommendations

 

 

 

Final

“Child Labour”

 “If we cannot begin to agree on fundamentals, such as the elimination of the most abusive forms of child labor, then we really are not ready to march forward into the future,” says Alexis Herman. Child labour refers to work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children; interferes with their schooling by depriving them of the opportunity to attend school; obliging them to leave school prematurely or by requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work. Children who are involved in child labour may learn how to be productive and may become independent and mature citizens; however, child labour deprives children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity.

Child labour has been one of the many concerns in the different parts of the world and, most alarmingly, one of the most widespread problems that the world continually faces. Sadly, child labour is still common in our world today. According to the International Labor Organization, there are approximately,

215 million children between the ages of 5 and 17 that currently work under conditions that are considered illegal, hazardous, or extremely exploitative. Underage children work at all sorts of jobs around the world, usually because they and their families are extremely poor. Large numbers of children work in commercial agriculture, fishing, manufacturing, mining, and, domestic service. Some children work in illicit activities like the drug trade and prostitution or other traumatic activities such as serving as soldiers. Of an estimated 215 child laborers around the globe: approximately 114 million (53%) are in Asia and the Pacific; 14 million (7%) live in Latin America; and 65 million (30%) live in sub-Saharan Africa. (Child labor public education project, n.d.)

Through child labour, children will learn how to become productive, independent, and mature. Though it may be true that children can also learn how to become productive, independent and mature by attending school, but speaking from a practical and realistic point of view, some children cannot afford to go to school because of the fact that their families do not have money to pay for their tuition fees or because they are forced not to attend school for they have to work to feed themselves and their families. By working, even at a very young age, the victims of child labour will be able to somehow be productive with the work that they do. For example, a child who works in a clothing factory does not only learn how to sew but he will also be able to earn money for himself and his family as well. Children who work will also learn how to be independent and mature because they will become used to working on their own.

Working children are also essential for the survival of many families especially in poor countries. Some families need their children to work and to earn money just to feed their empty stomachs. Children are forced to drop out of school to work because they need money and food to survive. According to the International Labor Organization head of the Philippines, Lawrence Jeff Johnson, “we have to get to the root of child labor which is linked with poverty and lack of decent and productive work” (Tubeza, 2012). Poverty is one of the major causes of child labour and this is also one of the many reasons why some children need to work.

            Another reason why child labour could be something good is because boycotts made against the laws which were created to prevent child labour may lead to greater consequences such as harming the children rather than helping them. After the Child Labor Deterrence Act, a bill that "prohibits the importation of products that have been produced by child labour, and included civil and criminal penalties for violators" was introduced in the United States, the UNICEF stated that

an estimated 50,000 children lost their jobs in the garment industry in Bangladesh, and were more or less forced to take dngerous jobs such as stone-crushing, street hustling, and even prostitution, and being much more expoitative than their previous garment industry jobs. Boycotts such as this are blunt instruments with long-term consequences that can actually harm rather than help the children involved. (Child labour pros and cons, n.d.)

Child labour may be beneficial to some of its victims; but on the other hand, it deprives children of their childhood and potentials. The victims of child labour are more probable to be withdrawn from a normal and happy childhood because they will have less or no time at all to enjoy the things that children normally do such as playing, going to school, or enhancing their talents. Playing and having a formal education are only some of rights of children that should be given attention; thus, depriving children of their childhood and potentials also means violating their rights as children.

Child labour also removes the dignity and freedom of children. Most of the forms of child labour are exploitive and harmful by nature; which consequently, go against the dignity and freedom of children.

Millions of children are involved in work that, under any circumstance, is considered unacceptable for children, including the sale and trafficking of children into debt bondage, serfdom, and forced labor. It includes the forced recruitment of children for armed conflict, commercial sexual exploitation, and illicit activities, such as producing and trafficking drugs. (Child labor public education project, n.d.)

There are other dangers involved in child labour which are in part hazardous and exploitive, such as child slavery, child prostitution, child soldiers, and child trafficking. “Labour that jeopardizes the physical, mental or moral well-being of a child, either because of its nature or because of the conditions in which it is carried out, is known as hazardous work” (What is child labour?, 2012). The worst forms of child labour as defined by Article 3 of ILO Convention No. 182 are

all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labour, including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict; the use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances;  the use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs as defined in the relevant international treaties; and work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children. (Convention on the Rights of the Child, 2006)

Through child labour, children will learn how to become productive, independent, and mature but children may learn how to be productive, independent, and mature through other ways such as through their parents and by going to school. Furthermore, some of the victims of child labour are not even at the right age to be productive, independent, and mature. These include children who are below 13 years old. A number of children in poor countries may be forced to work for their families to survive; nevertheless, this is the part where the government should help the families of these children. They should enforce laws or create projects that would prevent these children from being forced to work and that would help the families of the victims of child labour as well. While it may be true that the laws made by the government which prevent child labour lead children to do work which are more dangerous to the work that they have done before, the government should guarantee a better future for the victims of child labour in addition to the creation of laws that impedes child labour. If the government provides organizations which help and give benefits to the victims of child labour, it might be possible that children will stop from doing more harmful and dangerous work.

            Despite the facts that child labour teaches children to be productive, independent, and mature; that it is essential for the survival of many families; and that the laws made by the government which prevent child labour lead children to be involved in work which are more dangerous to the work that they have done before, child labour deprives children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity.

There are many forms of child labour but we must give greater attention to its worst forms, namely, child slavery, child prostitution, child soldiers, and child trafficking. We must unite and help each other in order to fight and eradicate child labour. Let us work together to save the children of the world and to provide them with a better future for these children will sooner or later be the hope of our world.

 

Draft

“Child Labour”

 “If we cannot begin to agree on fundamentals, such as the elimination of the most abusive forms of child labor, then we really are not ready to march forward into the future,” says Alexis Herman. Child labour refers to work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children; interferes with their schooling by depriving them of the opportunity to attend school; obliging them to leave school prematurely or by requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work. Children who are involved in child labour may learn how to be productive and may become independent and mature citizens; however, child labour deprives children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity.

Child labour has been one of the many concerns in the different parts of the world and, most alarmingly, one of the most widespread problems that the world continually faces. Sadly, child labour is still common in our world today. According to the International Labor Organization, there are approximately,

215 million children between the ages of 5 and 17 that currently work under conditions that are considered illegal, hazardous, or extremely exploitative. Underage children work at all sorts of jobs around the world, usually because they and their families are extremely poor. Large numbers of children work in commercial agriculture, fishing, manufacturing, mining, and, domestic service. Some children work in illicit activities like the drug trade and prostitution or other traumatic activities such as serving as soldiers. Of an estimated 215 child laborers around the globe: approximately 114 million (53%) are in Asia and the Pacific; 14 million (7%) live in Latin America; and 65 million (30%) live in sub-Saharan Africa. (Child labor public education project, n.d.)

Through child labour, children will learn how to become productive, independent, and mature. Though it may be true that children can also learn how to become productive, independent and mature by attending school, speaking from a practical and realistic point of view, some children cannot afford to go to school because of the fact that their families do not have money to pay for their tuition fees or because they are forced not to attend school for they have to work to feed themselves and their families. By working, even at a very young age, the victims of child labour will be able to somehow be productive with the work that they do. For example, a child who works in a clothing factory does not only learn how to sew but he will also be able to earn money for himself and his family as well. Children who work will also learn how to be independent and mature because they will become used to working on their own.

Working children are also essential for the survival of many families especially in poor countries. Some families need their children to work and to earn money just to feed their empty stomachs. Children are forced to drop out of school to work because they need money and food to survive. According to the International Labor Organization head of the Philippines, Lawrence Jeff Johnson, “we have to get to the root of child labor which is linked with poverty and lack of decent and productive work” (Tubeza, 2012). Poverty is one of the major causes of child labour and this is also one of the many reasons why some children need to work.

            Another reason why child labour could be something good is because boycotts made against the laws which were created to prevent child labour may lead to greater consequences such as harming the children rather than helping them. After the Child Labor Deterrence Act, a bill that "prohibits the importation of products that have been produced by child labour, and included civil and criminal penalties for violators" was introduced in the United States, the UNICEF stated that

an estimated 50,000 children lost their jobs in the garment industry in Bangladesh, and were more or less forced to take dngerous jobs such as stone-crushing, street hustling, and even prostitution, and being much more expoitative than their previous garment industry jobs. Boycotts such as this are blunt instruments with long-term consequences that can actually harm rather than help the children involved. (Child labour pros and cons, n.d.)

Child labour may be beneficial to some of its victims; but on the other hand, it deprives children of their childhood and potentials. The victims of child labour are more probable to be withdrawn from a normal and happy childhood because they will have less or no time at all to enjoy the things that children normally do such as playing, going to school, or enhancing their talents. Playing and having a formal education are only some of rights of children that should be given attention; thus, depriving children of their childhood and potentials also means violating their rights as children.

Child labour also removes the dignity and freedom of children. Most of the forms of child labour are exploitive and harmful by nature; which consequently, go against the dignity and freedom of children.

Millions of children are involved in work that, under any circumstance, is considered unacceptable for children, including the sale and trafficking of children into debt bondage, serfdom, and forced labor. It includes the forced recruitment of children for armed conflict, commercial sexual exploitation, and illicit activities, such as producing and trafficking drugs. (Child labor public education project, n.d.)

There are other dangers involved in child labour which are in part hazardous and exploitive, such as child slavery, child prostitution, child soldiers, and child trafficking. “Labour that jeopardizes the physical, mental or moral well-being of a child, either because of its nature or because of the conditions in which it is carried out, is known as hazardous work” (What is child labour?, 2012). The worst forms of child labour as defined by Article 3 of ILO Convention No. 182 are

all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labour, including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict; the use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances;  the use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs as defined in the relevant international treaties; and work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children. (Convention on the Rights of the Child, 2006)

Through child labour, children will learn how to become productive, independent, and mature but children may learn how to be productive, independent, and mature through other ways such as through their parents and by going to school. Furthermore, some of the victims of child labour are not even at the right age to be productive, independent, and mature. These include children who are below 13 years old. A number of children in poor countries may be forced to work for their families to survive; nevertheless, this is the part where the government should help the families of these children. They should enforce laws or create projects that would prevent these children from being forced to work and that would help the families of the victims of child labour as well. While it may be true that the laws made by the government which prevent child labour lead children to do work which are more dangerous to the work that they have done before, the government should guarantee a better future for the victims of child labour in addition to the creation of laws that impedes child labour. If the government provides organizations which help and give benefits to the victims of child labour, it might be possible that children will stop from doing more harmful and dangerous work.

            Despite the facts that child labour teaches children to be productive, independent, and mature; that it is essential for the survival of many families; and that the laws made by the government which prevent child labour lead children to be involved in work which are more dangerous to the work that they have done before, child labour deprives children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity.

There are many forms of child labour but we must give greater attention to its worst forms, namely, child slavery, child prostitution, child soldiers, and child trafficking. We must unite and help each other in order to fight and eradicate child labour. Let us work together to save the children of the world and to provide them with a better future for these children will sooner or later be the hope of our world.

 

References

Child labour public education project. (n.d.). Retrieved August 9, 2012 from

http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/laborctr/child_labor/about/what_is_child_labor.hml.

Convention on the Rights of the Child, United Nations. 2006, c. 182.

Green Planet Ethics. (n.d.) Child labour pros and cons. Retrieved August 1, 2012 from

http://greenplanetethics.com/wordpress/child-labour-pros-and-cons/.

Tubeza, P. (2012, June 27). 5.9 million child laborers in Philippines, says ILO survey. Philippine

Daily Inquirer. Retrieved from http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/218947/philippines-has-3-m-child-laborers-nso-ilo.

What is child labour?. (2012). Retrieved August 1, 2012 from http://www.ilo.org/ipec/facts/lang-

en/index.htm.