Vocational training for child labourers

MULTAN:

Schools will be opened across workplaces to put an end to child labour and ensure the provision of education to children, Yunus Buzdar of the Labour Department said on Wednesday.

He was addressing a meeting of the district coordination committee at the Dera Ghazi Khan DCO’s office. Buzdar said a project would be completed in this regard in phases. He said a survey had been initiated to register children employed across workshops, hotels, bus depots and other places.

Buzdar said 7,139 children aged five to 14 would be given primary education while boys aged 14 to 18 would be imparted vocational training over the first phase of the project. He said interest-free loans would also be provided to adults to enable them to set up small businesses and eradicate poverty.

The official said children would also be provided healthcare with the cooperation of public departments. He said medical camps would also be established on this account. Buzdar said great attention would be devoted to children’s health. He said mental and physical health went hand in hand. Buzdar said the children would transform their destinies through education. He said families employed across brick kilns would be provided CNIC cards with the cooperation of the NADRA.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 14^th, 2016.