There are two different schools of thought about whether child labor is a good practice or not. I genuinely believe, this is one of the worst malpractices since children suffer in numerous ways due to this.
First and foremost, piecework compels children to give up education. Generally, children of poverty – stricken countries like Somalia, Nigeria, Ghana, Togo get involved in piecework. Because, if they do not work outside, their family would not survive. Earning money is of utmost importance to them. When they start earning money and when they realize the importance of earning money, at one point in time, they give up education. They grow up being uneducated. As a result, a country loses a potential educated workforce. For example, most African nations live under the poverty line. 60% to 70% of their children start working at a very young age and they never go to school. Consequently, most African nations lack educated workers, and that is the reason these countries are still suffering tremendously over the last 2-3 decades.
Moreover, early involvement in job, makes children suffer both physically and mentally. As most of these jobs are heavyweight jobs, and they start at a very delicate age (early age). So when they do heavyweight jobs they suffer from many physical complications, they suffer from malnutrition mostly. Again, they suffer from backbone issue, especially children, who work in chemical factories. So, sometimes due to the chemical reactions, they suffer from different types of skin diseases, including skin cancer. They also suffer from kidney failure different other complicated diseases in the course of time. When they see children of their ages enjoying life, they suffer from inferiority. So they suffer both physically and mentally. For example, in the African continent, more than 40% of child workers suffer from many complicated diseases, especially malnutrition, and many of them die at times, even in the workplace.
Last but not least, many time, child laborers grow up as criminals. Children are too young to judge between right and wrong. Sometimes they are engaged in criminal activities by their employers. They get involved in this activity unknowingly. They are exploited by their employers. They don’t even know that they are already engaged in criminal activities. Again, sometimes, to earn money quicker, they deliberately engage themselves in criminal activities and in this way they can earn a large amount of money. Sometimes they do not even understand the crime they do because they are very young. For example, the statistics say in the whole world more than 60% of drug peddlers are children. They are engaged in drug trafficking. They take drugs from one place to another place. So that is why, statistics say today’s child laborers are tomorrow’s potential criminals and a good number of child labor grow up to be criminals.
In view of the aforementioned facts and circumstances, it can be said that child labor is an ultimate curse that affects the lives of many children. It is high time the government should adopt immediate measures to bring this practice to a complete hilt and take action which forces children to work before the right age.