In many countries, children are engaged in some kind of paid work. Some people regard this as completely wrong, while others consider it as valuable work experience, important for learning and taking responsibility. What are your opinions on this?

The issue of children doing paid

work

is a complex and sensitive one. It is difficult to say who has the right to judge whether children working is ‘wrong’ or ‘valuable’. Opinions will

also

differ as to ‘learning’ benefits: no doubt teachers and factory owners,

for example

, would have varying concerns. An important consideration is the kind of

work

undertaken. Young children doing arduous and repetitive tasks on a factory production line,

for example

, are less likely to be ‘learning’ than older children helping in an old people’s home. There are health and safety issues to be considered as well. It is an unfortunate fact that many employers may prefer to use the services of children simply to save money by paying them less than adults and it is

this

type of exploitation that should be discouraged.

However

, in many countries, children

work

because their families need the additional income, no matter how small.

This

was certainly the case in the past in many industrialized countries, and it is very difficult to judge that it is wrong for children today to contribute to the family income in

this

way.

Nevertheless

, in better economic circumstances, few parents would choose to send their children out to full-time paid

work

. If learning responsibilities and

work

experience are considered to be important,

then

chitdren

a young person of either sex

children

can acquire these by having light,

parttime

Suggestion

part time

jobs or even doing tasks

such

as helping their parents around the family home, which are unpaid, but undoubtedly of value in children’s development.