The Links between Education and Child Labor

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As Indian economist and Nobel laureate Sen Amartya has pointed out, “…the freedom to go to school is being decreased not only by the weakness in their school systems, but also by the fact that the children (and their parents) do not have a choice” (Bark 33). This quote points out how many children are being affected by family situations which forced them to work and unable to attend school. When the family is suffering from poverty, children and their parents do not have any choice except allowing their children to work and contribute to the family’s income. Child labor and education has a complex relationship, however education can help reduce the number of children in labor and it will help lift many people out of poverty.
Child labor is a problem that needed much attention from due to the fact that many young children are being forced to be working. In Peru, the proportion of child working is 16% for those between six and eleven years old (Salazar 157). Children in rural areas are starting to work for their families at a very young age. It is approximated more than three million children from rural areas are working in Peru (Hobbs 189). Many families in Peru are experiencing hardship due to poverty, it helps if their children can work and contribute their earnings to increase their family’s income. In Lima, child labor makes up about ten percent of poor families’ income (Hobbs 189). Millions of children in Peru are employed in many different occupations but most of them are employed in mining and agriculture industry. In Peru, 48% and 40% appropriately of children from poor rural families are working in agriculture (Salazar 157). Peru is a large exporter of minerals and metals (copper) in the world that develops many jobs o...

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