Child labour main obstacle to achieving education for all
Friday, 20 March 2009
State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Munnujan Sufian Thursday said child labour is one of the main obstacles to achieving the goal of education for all, reports BSS.
"If we want to achieve the goal of education for all and reduce poverty, we need to ensure access of all children to schools and raise income of the families of child labourers, she told at a national seminar on child labour and education at a city hotel.
ILO including its International Training Centre (ITC) in Turin), UNICEF and UNESCO jointly organised the seminar.
Director of ILO Country Office in Dhaka Panudda Boonpala, Director and Country Representatives of UNESCO Malama Meleisea and Country Representative of UNICEF Carel de Rooy addressed the seminar as special guests.
Joint Secretary (Labour) of the Ministry of Labour and Employment Azizur Rahman presided over the function.
A documentary on child labour and education was screened during the seminar.
Quoting a BBS survey report, Begum Munnujan said about 3.1 million children are engaged in odd jobs in the country.
She said the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is firmly committed to eliminating child labour.
Begum Munnujan said the government is also actively considering formulating a national child policy.
She said the ministry of labour and employment is implementing a project titled 'Eradication of Hazardous Child Labour in Bangladesh' with the goal of withdrawing 30,000 child labour from risky jobs.
"Currently, a 6-month skill development training programme is in full motion. A total of 30,000 children are receiving the training", she added.
The state minister said on the skill development programme, each of the children is receiving Tk 100 as stipend per month.
Panudda Boonpala said 165 million children between the age of 5 and 14 years are involved in child labour across the world, whereas more than 70 million primary school age group children are not enrolled in schools.
She said in Bangladesh 1.3 million children are engaged in hazardous works.
"If we want to achieve the goal of education for all and reduce poverty, we need to ensure access of all children to schools and raise income of the families of child labourers, she told at a national seminar on child labour and education at a city hotel.
ILO including its International Training Centre (ITC) in Turin), UNICEF and UNESCO jointly organised the seminar.
Director of ILO Country Office in Dhaka Panudda Boonpala, Director and Country Representatives of UNESCO Malama Meleisea and Country Representative of UNICEF Carel de Rooy addressed the seminar as special guests.
Joint Secretary (Labour) of the Ministry of Labour and Employment Azizur Rahman presided over the function.
A documentary on child labour and education was screened during the seminar.
Quoting a BBS survey report, Begum Munnujan said about 3.1 million children are engaged in odd jobs in the country.
She said the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is firmly committed to eliminating child labour.
Begum Munnujan said the government is also actively considering formulating a national child policy.
She said the ministry of labour and employment is implementing a project titled 'Eradication of Hazardous Child Labour in Bangladesh' with the goal of withdrawing 30,000 child labour from risky jobs.
"Currently, a 6-month skill development training programme is in full motion. A total of 30,000 children are receiving the training", she added.
The state minister said on the skill development programme, each of the children is receiving Tk 100 as stipend per month.
Panudda Boonpala said 165 million children between the age of 5 and 14 years are involved in child labour across the world, whereas more than 70 million primary school age group children are not enrolled in schools.
She said in Bangladesh 1.3 million children are engaged in hazardous works.