Children are the shining stars of a country’s future and, in Atatürk’s words, the glitters of happiness. The most basic right of every child, who stands out with what they have learned, the way they behave and the way they are brought up, is to receive education. With the help of prestigious schools in the country, it is a positive phenomenon for a child to get rid of bad behavior and turn to good. The child, who is in contact with his teachers and friends, goes through many developments in the social sense. These values, on the other hand, help him to have a decision and an idea about his future.
Unfortunately, child labor, which continues at full speed today, will cause the individual to feel powerless and unhappy. Forcing a child who wants to play with his friends to work on the streets and taking away his basic rights is nothing but slavery. Not allowing a child to use their potential will make it extremely difficult for that child to express their views freely and express themselves in the future.
Many schools in the country have opened their doors to students. This social institution, which is surrounded by a warm home, helps students to access information about both life and academic fields. In addition to the education system and social projects that need to be supported correctly, great success can be achieved with the effort of the student. Taking away the education life of the child means that he cannot live the rest of his life.
According to researches, there are approximately 160 million child workers in the world. Half of these children work in very dangerous jobs, while the other half have to endure the negative impact of their health. The region with the highest rate of child labor is Africa with 92 million. Among the main causes are unemployment, population, education level and poverty. At the same time, it is expected that the child, who is still in developmental age, will contribute to the family livelihood. It has been learned that many child workers who try to keep up with this tiring pace and have calloused hands lost their lives in fields such as agriculture, construction and mining.
Many implemented projects give both girls and any child in need the right to continue their education. This situation, which was tried to be ended with various struggle programs, led to a decrease of 94% in 16 years. Although the people who support these children, who work in agriculture and industry in particular, work, this situation still continues today. Here, the basic precaution that a state should take would be to inform the families.
All the while, businesses that employ young children also sound very strange. It is cruel to steal from the future when there is job opportunity in the country for adults with different interests. If there are enterprises that continue to employ child labor despite the projects and reactions, they are guilty and should be punished in the most severe way. It is vitally important for the society that the legal process is started and the necessary action is taken. The debts to those children, whom they left in financial and moral difficulties, should be paid as soon as possible.
In conclusion, it is the children that a country should value most, and they should be given the necessary rights they deserve. Every child forced to work for the benefit of others should be protected under the best of circumstances, and whoever compelled them should be punished. Children are the beacon of a nation that wants to shed light on its future, and they are the ones who will change and glorify the world. As the Great Hero Mustafa Kemal Atatürk said: “Children are the assurance of our future, our joy of living. It is our human duty to raise today’s child as tomorrow’s grown-up.”