In many countries, thousands of children leave home every day for work at a very early age. In Brazil, approximately 5.5 million Brazilians, aged between 5 and 17, work while they should be at school.
Generally, these children and adolescents have long working hours, thus preventing their presence at school. Furthermore, the work performed often requires enormous physical effort.
Entering work prematurely makes the search for a better life impossible and overshadows the dreams of thousands of children and teenagers. It is notorious that the work performed by these children excludes them from school.
This reality is not unique to Brazil, following the panorama of child labor in the world:
• According to data from the International Labor Organization, around 250 million children are working in the world.
• The work is carried out by children aged between 5 and 14 years.
• About 120 million work full-time.
• Approximately 80% do not enjoy weekly rest.
• Most of these workers live in rural areas.
- In Portugal there are about 200 thousand workers with inadequate working age.
- In Spain there are approximately 500 thousand.
- In Germany, about 600 thousand.
- Latin America is home to approximately 7% of the world's child labor force.
- Africa accounts for 32% of the world's child labor force.
- Approximately 61% of all working children in the world live on the Asian continent.
- In India alone, about 120 million children and adolescents perform some type of work.
- In Oceania there are about 500 thousand.
From these numbers we can see that this is a problem that encompasses an international dimension. These working children could be at school and playing, considering that this stage of life should be dedicated exclusively to this.
By Eduardo de Freitas
Graduated in Geography
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/geografia/lugar-crianca-na-escola.htm
