World Day Against Child Labour: Classroom activities I

Classroom activities for World Day Against Child Labour

Education International International Labour Organisation

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Youth in action: you can make a difference!

2009 marks the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the landmark International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 182, which addresses the need for urgent action to eliminate as a priority the worst forms of child labour. This activity aims to stimulate discussion on child labour, international instruments on the issue and to prepare young people to share their knowledge with their peers and become advocates in their schools and communities.

Begin your session by asking: • Whatdoyouunderstandbytheterm‘childlabour’?• Whatdoesitmeantoyou?

Encouragestudentstotellyouwhattheyalreadyknowaboutchildlabour,whattheyhaveheardfromothers,learnedfromtelevision,perhapsevenexperiencedthemselvesinsomeformorother.Notethevariouspointsonablackboardorflipchart.Besurethatthegroupunderstandsthedistinctionbetweenacceptableformsofworkforchildrenandchildlabourandthemajorcausesandconsequencesofchildlabour.Youcanstimulatethediscussionwithafewquestions,suchas:

• Whatageofachildarewethinkingofwhenwetalkaboutchildlabour?• Aretheredifferencesbetweenwhatgirlsandboysdoandthewaytheyaretreated?• Whatsortofworkarewetalkingabout?• Wheredoeschildlabourexist?Inwhichcountriesandregionsoftheworld?• Arechildlabourerspaid?Dotheygotoschool?• Whydoeschildlabourexist?• Howdoeschildlabourharmchildren?

Start the next part of the activity byexplainingwhataninternationalconventionis:InternationalconventionsareagreementsbetweenStatesdrawinguprulesofbehaviourthatshouldapplyinallcountries.TheseagreementsareusuallydevelopedinthecontextoftheUnitedNationsorotherinternationalorganizations.ConventionsadoptedbytheInternationalLabourOrganizationhavebeenvotedonbygovernments,employers’andworkers’organizations.GovernmentsthatratifytheseConventionsareobligedtoincorporatethemintotheirownlegislationandpracticeandmakesurethatthelawsareappliedandrespected.

Askthegroupiftheyareawareofanyinternationalconventions.SomewillhaveheardoftheUNConventionontheRightsoftheChild.Introducethemtothetwomajor

World Day Against Child Labour: Classroom activities III

Conventionsonchildlabour:

• ILOConventionNo.138onMinimumAge• ILOConventionNo.182ontheWorstFormsofChildLabour.

ExplainthattheMinimumAgeConventionsetsoutclearguidelinesforgovernmentstodefinetheminimumageatwhichchildrenshouldbeallowedtowork.Itstatesthatchildrenshouldcompletecompulsoryeducationbeforebeingallowedtowork.

NextyoushouldturntoILOConventionNo.182,whichisthefocusofthisactivity.ExplainthatthisConventionwasdesignedtotacklechildlabourmorespecificallybyfocusingfirstonitsworstforms,includingtheuseofachildforprostitution,theuseofchildreninarmedconflict,drugtraffickinganddangerouswork.

ThefulltextoftheConventionscanbefoundonthewebsite:www.ilo.org/ipec/Action/Legal/Conventions.Childfriendlyversionswillbeavailableontheportalonchildlabour:www.12to12.organdtheabove-mentionedwebsite.

Asktheparticipantstoformgroupsof4-5toundertakesomeresearchonchildlabour,focusingonitsworstforms,andtocomeupwithacreativewayofpresentingwhattheyhavelearnedtootheryoungpeopleintheirschoolorcommunity.Somecouldfocusonthesituationofgirls.

Referthemtothewebsitesmentionedaboveandencouragethemtolookforinformationintheschoolorlocallibrary.Askthemtoreflectonthefollowingquestions:

• WhyisitsoimportantthatgovernmentsratifyandapplyILOConventionNo.182?• Whyareadvocacyandsocialmobilisationsoimportantinordertoachievethe

eliminationofchildlabour?

Pointouttothegroupthatinspiteofalltheeffortsundertakenaroundtheworldtofightthisissue,childlabourcontinuestobeaproblemandthusweneedmorethaneverthehelpandsupportofeveryonetojointogetherintheglobalefforttoeliminateit.

Theyoungpeoplemustbechallengedandsupportedtocomeupwithinsightful,creativeideastocapturetheattentionoftheirpeersintheircommunityinthebuild-uptotheWorldDayAgainstChildLabouron12June.Forexample,theycanpresenttheirfindingsusingdrawings,arole-play,acollageorapoem.Visittheportalonchildlabourtoseewhatotherschoolshavedone.

After the groups have presented their findingstoeachother,asktheSchoolPrincipaliftheycanorganiseanassemblytosharewhattheyhavelearnedwiththeotherschoolstudents.

Formoreinformationandactivitiesonchildlabour,refertotheSCREAM–SupportingChildren’sRightsthroughEducation,theArtsandtheMedia–EducationPack,whichcanbedownloadedfromtheInternetin15differentlanguages:www.ilo.org/scream.Themoduleson“BasicInformation”,“ResearchandInformation”and“Debate”willbeparticularlyusefultodrawonforthisactivity.

Education International International Labour Organisation

IV

A 24-hour clock of a girl and a boy child labourer

This activity is related to gender roles in the specific context of child labour. It explores differences between boys and girls in terms of how they spend their time over the course of a day, specifically examining work performed by girls and boys both inside and outside the household and highlighting differences in their tasks, working hours and wages. The activity involves building a profile of both a girl and boy child labourer. You will need images and stories of boy and girl child labourers, a large sheet of paper and pencils or pens.

Begin the activitybyaskingeveryonetothinkabouthowtheyspendtheirtimeandwhatthingstheydoeveryday.Theyshouldlistsomeexamples,suchasgoingtoschool,spendingtimewithfriends,goingshopping,etc.

Askthemtodrawa24-hourclockofthemselvesbydrawingalargecircleanddividingitinto24equalsectionsasthoughtheywereslicingacake.Rememberthatthefirst12hoursofthedaywillonlyfillthefirsthalfofthecircleratherthanthewholecircle,asonanormalclockface.Then,theyshouldfillinthesegmentsoftheirclock,showingtheamountoftimespentdoingvariousactivitiesoveratypical24-hourperiod.Thesizeofeachsectionwilldependontheamountoftimespentonthatactivity.Forexample,7a.m.wakeup,7.15a.m.eatbreakfast,8.00a.m.dressandwash,etc.Whentheyhavefinished,askthemtocomparetheirclockwiththeclocksofthosearoundthem.Promoteadiscussiononanymajordifferencesbetweentheclocksintermsofwork,responsibilities,leisuretimeandotheractivities.Arethesedifferencesgood?Aretherethingsthattheywouldliketochange?

The next step intheactivityistodevelopa24-hourclockofachildlabourer.Asktheparticipantstoformgroupsof4-5.Giveeachgrouptwoimagesofchildworkers,aboyandagirl.Readoutashortprofileofthechildworkers,outliningwheretheycomefrom,whatkindofworktheydo,andotherinformationtogivethegroupsabroadoverviewoftheboyandgirlchildworkers.Usethechildlabourstoriesandimagesthatareavailableonthesewebsites:www.ilo.org/ipecandwww.12to12.org.

Encouragethegroupstobuildaprofileoftheboyandthegirlbasedontheinformationgivenandotherquestionssuchasthefollowing:

• Howolddoyouthinkheorsheis?• Doesthechildliveinaruralorurbansetting?

World Day Against Child Labour: Classroom activities V

• Underwhatcircumstancesisthechildworking?• Doesthegenderofthechildhaveaninfluence

onthetypeofworkheorshedoes?• Doesthechildgotoschool?• Doestheboyorgirlspendanytimehelpingoutathome?• Doesthechildhaveanybrothersorsisters?• Doesheorshelookafteryoungersiblings?• Doesthechildearnmoneyfortheworkheorsheisdoing?

Explaintothegroupsthattheyshouldimagineeverythingthatthischilddoesinatypicalday,listtheactivitiesonapieceofpaperandthendevelopa24-hourclock,astheydrewforthemselves.Activitiesthatarecarriedoutsimultaneously,suchasmindingyoungersiblingsandworking,canbenotedwithinthesamesegments.

When the clocks are completed,pinthemupinacentrallocationforalltoseeandencourageadiscussionusingquestionssuchasthefollowing:

• Howdotheboy’sandgirl’sclockscompare?• Whosedayisthebusiest?• Howdothegirl’sandboy’sschedulesaffecttheireducation?• Istheboyorgirlmorelikelytoattendschool?• Whatarethepotentialconsequences(shortandlongterm)oftheirwork?

Finish the sessionwithadiscussionaboutdomesticwork,thecommercialsexualexploitationofchildren,theuseofchildreninarmedconflictandothertypesofchildlabourthatmanygirlsandboysareinvolvedinworldwide.

Forbackgroundinformation,refertotheILO’sInternationalProgrammeontheEliminationofChildLabouronlineinformationresources:http://www.ilo.org/ipec/Informationresources

Reference:AdaptedfromactivitytwoinGenderEqualityandChildLabour:Aparticipatorytoolforfacilitators(Geneva,ILO-IPEC2005)

Education International International Labour Organisation

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A 24-hour clock of a girl and a boy child labourer

World Day Against Child Labour: Classroom activities VII

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A 24-hour clock of a girl and a boy child labourer

Education International International Labour Organisation

Sleep

Wake, dress, wash, help mother with chores

Empty latrine

Walk to shoe factory, clock in

Work putting glue on leather soles

Break, run to market Get some bread

Walk home with friends

Collect siblings from street & bring them home

Help prepare evening meal, mother goes to work

Bring water for house

Take a wash and prepare siblings for bed

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Photocopy master

A 24-hour clock of a girl and a boy child labourer

Education International International Labour Organisation

World Day Against Child Labour: Classroom activities