In China, there is a great demand for child laborers, for children have smaller hands, and their eyesight is undamaged from years of work. Children are often used in factories that produce toys. Life in these factories is brutal. Oftentimes, children are expected to work 15 hour days, beginning at 8 A.M. and continuing past midnight. In many instances, the children work seven day weeks, and are paid 12 cents an hour. Although this is against Chinese labor laws, the laws are often not enforced.
Some reasons that children end up working in factories at a young age, is actually to help pay for schooling. Families in rural areas make very little money, about 195 Yuan, which is close to $31. School costs roughly 15 Yuan, which is about $2.50. Families are simply unable to pay for their children to attend school when they already have so little to spare.
To call an end to child labor would not ease the suffering of the children and their families. Without the children’s valuable income, families would have even less money, and the children would have no chance of attending school.
Instead, regulations and taxes should be put upon products produced in factories that implement child laborers. Raising the price of items produced by children by several cents would help to give the children better salaries, which would aid them and their families greatly. Children should also only be able to work a maximum of eight hours a day, because they are still growing, and require more sleep and rest and nutrition.Besides this, children should only be allowed to work after school hours, education should always come first.
Doesn't the children working contracted their purpose of doing so. If they are working long hours seven days a week when do they have time to attend school? The government must be aware of this problem because i am sure the attendance of children in school is low. Does china not have laws that protect a young individuals education?
ReplyDeleteAsking a child to go to school for x amount of hours, then go straight to work for 8 hours isn't going to help the issue of these children needing more sleep so they are able to grow properly. If the business' that purchase these toys were to stop buying the toys until the government enforced the laws already in place, then perhaps positive change would happen sooner.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% with Taylor and Charlotte. I don't believe that making these children work less hours will help solve the main issue. Children don't care about getting paid more; they are still growing and learning and even if their families, such as their parents, need help with making more money, their children shouldn't be the ones that suffer the consequences. Personally, I wouldn't be able to go to school and then work for 8 hours, while having to balance my school work at such a young age. I'm also pretty sure that these kids don't receive a good education and that their parent's main priorities lie in their children working more and more hours to make money. What is the average age of these child workers?
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