classroom activities for world day against child labour
TRANSCRIPT
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
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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