The grievous and withering pool that our little brothers and sisters swim in nowadays is the order of the day. This unforgivable and exploitative menace is the ugly parasitical tsetse fly that persistently wreak havoc on the resourceful cow that is supposed to breastfeed Basic Education. Tempted by its destructiveness, I opt to pen this piece.
Child Labor is a monstrous phenomenon that massively sit on the button of impediment to effective and efficient basic education. This menace over the years has projected at a higher magnitude.
According to International Labor Organization (ILO), Child Labor is refers to work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. In other words, work that is mentally, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children’s wellbeing; as reported by The Point Newspaper, 14th Sept, 2017.
This devastative crime as enshrined in the Children’s act 2005 is one of the most debilitating factors that significantly contributes to the diminution of the efficiency of Basic Education. Children who are unarguably identified as the future of this country are deterred and deny the right to effective and efficient education. This right infringement is one of the ugliest contributor to the deteriorating quality of Basic Education. As a result of this exploitative phenomenon, children pay little or no attention to their schooling and thus, negatively trickles down to their performance.
The negative implications of this phenomenon cannot be overemphasized. The child is exposed to series of moral, mental and social vices which includes rape, undesirable mentality, petty thefts and even smoking. These vices have direct impact on their education.
Furthermore, we all can attest to the fact that the fastest way to destroy a child is money. Instead of now the child focusing on education, he/she actively involves in the search for this devil. The child has no time for his/her studies but continue this crusade.
Thus, the child grows with these ill effects which becomes and inextricable trait. This begs the saying “it is easier to bend a soft wood than to bend a dry wood”. The child’s future becomes miserable.
However, I wouldn’t put all the blame on parents as agents of child labor for this boils down to poverty. As a result of abject poverty, parents are in a hot soup and have little or no option but to involve their children in work at a tender or illegal age for work. Notwithstanding, in my honest opinion, I believe such parents can as well help in curbing this menace or the implications associated to it by indefatigably ensuring that in as much as they would want their children to help them, let them make sure that the possible negative implications are checked; more especially, making sure their children attend school regularly.
Furthermore, part of the blame too goes to the government. Curbing child labor should be one of its primary objectives. It quite imperative to note that a government can never provide all that her countrymen needs. But, its efforts too towards looking into such matters of urgency requires relentlessness. Special attention is required in remedying this issue.
Thus, until this is looked into, our Basic Education shall continue its persistence deterioration!
*The Phenomenal*
*(Baboucarr Mbowe)*✍