GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES 1129

CHILD LABOUR JOURNAL

TOPIC: WHAT EVERYONE NEEDS?

NAME:
CLASS:
TEACHER:
SCHOOL:
 TOPIC: WHAT EVERYONE NEEDS: CHILD LABOUR

Photo: © 2012 David J Robinson

It’s a Sunday in April, at about 10 a.m. The girl is in Nepal, one of the poorest
countries in the world, and she is begging for rice. She has a sister but no
parents and she lives under a sheet of plastic in a ruined building with no
power, water, heating or roof.

1. Think about a normal Sunday morning for you. In a paragraph, describe what
you usually do on a Sunday.

When do you wake up?

What do you have for breakfast?
What do you do with the day?
What are the boring things about your Sunday?
What are the good things about your Sunday?
2. Try to imagine what it is like to be the young girl in the picture, and to spend
your Sunday begging in a street, hoping to get enough rice to feed you and
your little sister.

Write a short story about her life, explaining why she is struggling to survive,
what she has to do and how she might react if she could spend a Sunday with
you. You can add photographs and drawings to your story if you like.
Key Vocabulary:
o Child labour

o Exploitation

o Rights

o Poverty

o Education

o Working conditions

o International Labour Organization (ILO)

Task 1: TRUE OR FALSE

- Highlight in yellow if the statement is TRUE
- Highlight in green if the statement is FALSE
-

Child labour is the employment of children 1 in 6 children around the world are involved
under an age determined by law or custom in child labour of some sort

Often, work is a vital source of income that Some children in India work from 8am – 10pm,
helps to sustain children and their families 7 days a week

Some families ‘sell’ their children for as little

Child workers get paid very well
as £8 to employers

Some children are forcibly recruited for use in Being a child worker will mean you get a
armed conflict. There are cases of such abuses better job when you are older
in Burma, Sudan, Uganda, Liberia, Angola and
Columbia

What is Child Labour?- (cite your sources)

Group Brainstorm: (come up with a list of reasons why children might be forced to work?)

Task 2: Watch the Video and take down notes

- Watch the video clip and make notes on the advantages and disadvantages of child
labour.

ADVANTAGES
1. Cheaper, Healthier workforce
2. Easy to find and recuit
3. Decent earning because you don’t have to pay a lot and there is a bunch of
childrens in your basement
4. You don’t really have to take much care for them
5. You can sell them when they are dying.

DISADVANTAGES
1. Against laws
2. Making childs uneducated
3. Low-skills workforce
4. Less chance to be able to operate a success transition to a gainful employment
5. hazardous work and exposed to serious health and safety risks

Task 3: Using your video notes and your own knowledge try to complete the following
questions in as much detail as possible.

Who benefits from children working and why?

Why do some children have to work?

Do child workers get paid well? Why/why not?

What will happen to the children if they get injured or ill at work?

What are their futures going to be like? Why are they like this? Think about: their job,
their standard of living, their children’s lives…

What’s a reasonable solution to child labour?

Your Opinion:
• What actions do you think the rest of the world can do to eliminate child labour.

• Who is responsible for taking action?

• How can you help reduce the amount of child labour worldwide?

RESEARCH: don’t forget to cite your sources

Introduction to Child Labour

Research and present an overview of child labour, including its definition and prevalence
worldwide.

Provide examples of industries where child labour is commonly found.

Explain the reasons why children are often forced into labour.
Advantages of Child Labour

Research and present arguments that people may use to justify child labour.

Discuss potential benefits for children who engage in work at a young age.

Analyse the economic advantages that some industries gain from employing child labour.

Disadvantages of Child Labour

Investigate and present the negative consequences of child labour on children's physical and
mental well-being.

Discuss how child labour perpetuates the cycle of poverty and denies children access to
education.

Examine the ethical concerns surrounding child labour.

Solutions to Child Labour

Research and present organizations or initiatives that are actively working to combat child
labour.

Propose strategies that governments, communities, and individuals can implement to

address and prevent child labour.

Discuss the importance of education and social support in eradicating child labour.