Spare the children

Despite international commitments made by nearly all of the 193 United Nations (UN) member states, dozens of countries lack important legal protections against children doing work that could be harmful or interfere with their education, a study by the WORLD Policy Analysis Center (WORLD) at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health has found.

In China, more than 1,500 schoolchildren are working illegal jobs to manufacture Amazon Echo devices and other Alexa-enabled gadgets for Amazon’s supplier, Foxconn. Families sent their children to work because they desperately needed the income to survive financially. 

Governments must make sure every child is protected and enjoys the human right to health and education. Primary education must be free and different forms of secondary education must be made available to every child. 

It’s a moral crime to ruin their childhood and jeopardise their future.