How to create opportunities for children?
In recent years, Vietnam has recorded significant achievements in growth and development. However, there remain several negative social issues, particularly related to child labour, that concern the whole population.
Under the Labour Code issued in 1994, the minimum working age for children is 15 exclusive of some special cases and the minimum age for vocational training is 13. The code also stipulates that working hours per day and per week for children should not be more than 7 and 42 hours, respectively. The fact is that many Vietnamese children under working age are involved in early labour.
By the end of 2008, the number of child labourers amounted to more than 20,000, double 2006's figure. Apart from doing housework or working in the fields, many also take on hard jobs, some girls even become prostitutes, thus adversely affecting their development in terms of physical strength, intelligence, spirit and morality.
The main cause of early child labour can be attributed to poverty. Many families can not afford to provide enough money for their children to go to school or force them to drop out of schools to earn their living.
In addition, families and society are not fully aware of the importance of education, therefore, many children in rural and remote areas are deprived of opportunities to study or enter vocational training. As a result, the vicious circle of poverty, illiteracy, and low-cost labour still keep going on from generations to generations.
Dr Nguyen Huu Hai, head of the department for child protection and care said that to minimise child labour Vietnam must have a comprehensive approach and improve the community’s awareness to prevent child labour. Education aims to prevent and eliminate child labour. Education will equip children with the skills and knowledge to help them get safe and steady jobs with high incomes in the future. Education methods depend on each condition, situation, qualification, health and the desires of children, in order to help them integrate in official and unofficial education or vocational training.
Rie Vejs Kjeldgaard, director of ILO in Vietnam said that education goes with poverty reduction. Children who go to school are able to earn higher incomes when they grow up, get married at a more mature age, and have healthier children. Their children in the future will not fall into child labour. In addition, reducing poverty through the social welfare network, implementing the law on child education and providing opportunities for adults to get steady jobs with higher incomes will also help to deal with the child labour issue.
Nguyen Dinh Ton from the Vietnam Association for the Protection of Children's Rights (VAPCR) said that to ensure the rights of childern under the law on child protection, care and education, Vietnam should strictly punish individuals and organisations who use child labour. The country should develop communal centres for child protection, mailboxes where children can express their opinions and reception rooms to receive children and adults to discuss issues relating to children. It should establish consultantive groups who know the law on children protection, care and education.
Nguyen Thi Thu from the Koto vocational training centre revealed her story that she used to wash dishes, sell products and do housework. She dreamed of going to school and having a steady job but under difficult circumstances she still had to run errants for her family. However, with her meagre earnings, she was unable to increase her family's income. Later she did housework for a family and was then introduced to Koto. Studying there, she now feels very hopeful that she will find a better job after graduation.
