Their hands deserve books, not burdens
- World Day Against Child Labour 2025 is a reminder to replace forced toil with purposeful learning -

Raju Roy *

A child's rightful place is in a classroom, not a factory, workshop or hotel kitchen. On this World Day Against Child Labour, let us revisit our collective conscience and acknowledge that true national progress cannot coexist with stolen childhoods. When we place books instead of burdens in their hands, we invest not just in a child-but in the future of humanity.

When children should be smiling on their way to school, many are instead forced to carry hammers, bricks, or sewing machines- a heart-wrenching reflection of our collective societal failure. The future of any Nation lies in its children. Yet, across the world, millions of children are still losing their childhood to the cruel reality of labour.

The World Day Against Child Labour, observed globally every year on June 12, was declared by the United Nations to raise awareness against exploitative, abusive, and criminal practices of engaging children in labour. The theme for 2025, "Let's Act on Our Commitments : End Child Labour", urges not only awareness but active participation in this humanitarian cause.

Globalization, poverty, social inequality and illiteracy remain among the primary causes of child labour. According to a 2023 joint report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF, around 160 million children are currently engaged in child labour worldwide, with 85 million involved in hazardous sectors such as mining, chemical factories, domestic work, agriculture, and construction.

Most of these children belong to poor or lower-middle-income families, who are compelled to put their children to work instead of sending them to school. These very children are the future of our society. If they are forced to seek livelihood today instead of learning in school, we will be left without an educated and capable citizenry tomorrow.

Child labour is not merely an economic issue, it is a violation of human rights. According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), every child is entitled to education, safety, rest, and play. Child labour strips them of these fundamental rights. Children working along-side adults lose their childhood, suffer physically and mentally, and are permanently deprived of educational opportunities.

The ILO Conventions No. 138 (Minimum Age Convention) and No. 182 (Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention) have been signed by many countries pledging to combat child labour through policy, legislation, and awareness. India is a signatory to both conventions. In 2020, India enacted the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, declaring the employment of children under the age of 14 a punishable offence.

However, laws alone cannot solve the problem. Their implementation on the ground remains weak, as evident in the number of underage children still seen working in cities and villages, in roadside stalls, hotels, construction sites, or in households. In the North Eastern States of India such as Tripura, Mizoram, Assam, and Nagaland, child labour is still a common sight in certain areas.

According to Tripura State Child Protection Society, a significant proportion of child labourers in 2023 were employed in domestic work, hotels, or rickshaw garages. Dropout rates are notably higher in tribal-dominated districts like Dhalai, Gomati, and Unakoti, indirectly pushing children into labour. This is not only an economic issue but one that requires a change in societal mindset.

The National Family Health Survey-5 (2021) indicates that school dropout rates in some North- Eastern regions are significantly high, indirectly contributing to the prevalence of child labour. The driving forces behind child labour are poverty and lack of education. Families under financial stress often push children into the workforce, viewing it as economically beneficial.

Many parents believe that education is fruitless, and it is better if children earn. This misconception must be addressed through awareness and educational outreach. Schools must ensure access to mid-day meals, free books, uniforms, scholarships and a joyful learning environment to attract children to classrooms. This year's World Day Against Child Labour emphasizes the need for justice-driven transformation.

It's not enough to stop child labour, we must create alternative opportunities for these children. According to UNICEF, post-COVID-19, the world witnessed a rise in child labour for the first time since 2000. The economic crisis, loss of earning family members, and school closures forced many children into labour.

Between 2021 and 2023, UNICEF reports that 9% of school dropouts in South Asia ended up in child labour, highlighting how gaps in educational systems feed the problem.

Solving this crisis requires integrated measures beyond legal actions:

1) Ensure free, quality, and joyful education.
2) Provide free mid-day meals, school transport, and learning materials.
3) Implement family-based social welfare schemes (like PM-KISAN, Ujjwala, Ayushman Bharat) to prevent child labour.
4) Strengthen the role of local administration and increase accountability in eradicating child labour.
5) Ensure active participation of NGOs and volunteer organizations.
6) Promote mass awareness through local language campaigns, street plays, puppet shows, etc.

In this era of globalization and technological advancement, the presence of child labour is not only shameful - it is a grave human rights violation. The UNCRC (1989) guarantees every child the right to survival, development, protection and participation. Child labour is in direct contradiction to these principles.

India, home to more than 260 million children aged 6-14, still has around 11 million children engaged in labour, according to 2023 data from Government and NGOs. While the Government has implemented schemes such as the National Child Labour Project (NCLP), Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, and the Right to Education Act (2009), implementation gaps remain, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas.

The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016, prohibits employment of children under 14 and restricts hazardous work for adolescents aged 14-18. The Right to Education Act mandates free and compulsory education for children aged 6-14. The time to act is now. It is not just the Government, but every citizen who must join this fight.

As a teacher, I have seen that when schools create joyful environments with games, culture, and curiosity-driven learning, children are more inclined to attend. Media and civil society also play vital roles. Realistic portrayals of child labour in news, films, or theatre, and awareness camps organized by local clubs and panchayats, can have lasting positive impacts.

To empower NGOs to work effectively on the ground, Government grants and easy approvals are essential. On this World Day Against Child Labour, we must acknowledge that laws, declarations, and commemorative days alone cannot change children's lives, a compassionate society that offers love, education, and dreams, instead of labour, is what we need. Only when our conscience and humanity awaken will this battle be won.

Perhaps one day, the term "child labour" will no longer exist in our dictionaries. As a teacher, I believe every child holds the potential to become a responsible citizen. If we cage them in forced labour, the future of our Nation darkens. I have witnessed how mid-day meals, friendly teacher-student relationships, and inspiring educational activities have brought child labourers back to classrooms in remote tribal areas of Tripura.

If we stand by these children, they too will learn to stand on their own.It's easy to say "End child labour," but what truly matters is acting on the principle, "Give children a better alternative."

World Day Against Child Labour 2025 not only compels us to think but to act. The theme-"Let's Act on Our Commitments" should not be a one-day resolution but a lifelong mission. Put pens not hammers in children's hands.

This movement will only succeed when every segment of society, citizens, teachers, parents, business leaders, and administrators fulfil their responsibility with sincerity. If we turn today's children into labourers, tomorrow they will neither build the Nation nor their own future. Let us place a pen in their hands, not tools. Let this be our collective commitment.