Child labour

Some children have to work.

This work can stop them from going to school. Long ago, many children worked in big factories.

They worked in dark mines too. Some children even cleaned chimneys. This work was often very hard. Because of this, new laws were made. These laws helped more children go to school instead. Now, more children can learn and play.

Child labour is when children do work that is harmful. This work can stop them from going to school.

Long ago, work was a normal part of life. In old societies, children helped with farming or hunting. They did this to help their families survive.

Things changed during the Industrial Revolution. This was a time when many new factories were built.

In places like Great Britain, many children worked in mines. They also worked in dark, dusty factories. Some children even cleaned chimneys. This work was often very dangerous. Some children worked for 12 hours in a single night.

Because the work was so hard, people fought for change. Leaders passed new laws called the Factory Acts.

These laws set rules for how much children could work. Over time, more children went to school instead of factories. Today, poverty is still a big reason for child labour. Many children still work in farming to help their families.

Child labour is a term for work that harms children. This work can be bad for their bodies or their minds. It can also stop them from going to regular school. Most countries have laws to stop this kind of exploitation. However, some work is not called child labour. This includes child artists or helping with family duties. Some children in Indigenous groups or Amish communities also work in special ways.

In the past, work for children was a very different thing. Before big factories existed, children helped their families survive. They learned to hunt, farm, or care for others. In many old societies, children as young as 13 were seen as adults. They did the same jobs as the grown-ups. There were not many schools in these groups. Instead, adults taught children skills by working side by side.

Everything changed during the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain. New machines were built in large cities like Manchester and Liverpool. These cities grew very fast as people moved there. Many children worked in very hard and dangerous jobs. Some boys as young as four were chimney sweeps. Others worked in dark mines or loud factories. In 1788, two-thirds of workers in some cotton mills were children.

People began to pass laws to make things better. In Britain, they passed the Factory Acts to set rules. One law said children under nine could not work. Another law said children aged 9 to 16 could work 12 hours a day. By 1901, the age for working was raised to 12. In the United States, millions of children worked by the year 1900. Many of these children worked in homes making shoes or toys.

Today, poverty is the main reason children still work. In the world's poorest areas, one in five children works. This is a very high number in sub-Saharan Africa. Most child labour happens in farming or in small town shops. Many children work for their parents rather than in big factories. Even though the number of children working is falling, it is still a big problem. In 2013, an estimated 168 million children were involved in child labour.

Child labour refers to the exploitation of children through work. This work is defined by its harmful effects on a child. It can interfere with their ability to attend regular school. It can also be mentally, physically, socially, or morally harmful. Most countries have laws to prohibit this practice. However, some types of work are not legally considered child labour. These exceptions include child artists or supervised training. Some work by Indigenous children or Amish children is also permitted.

In pre-industrial societies, child labour was an intrinsic part of the economy. In these eras, there was rarely a modern concept of childhood. Children participated in activities like hunting, farming, or child rearing as soon as they were competent. In many societies, children as young as 13 were viewed as adults. They performed the same tasks as grown-ups to ensure group survival. Because productivity was low, children had to provide labour for their welfare. Most skills were passed down through direct mentoring rather than formal schooling.

The Industrial Revolution in Great Britain changed these patterns. During the late 18th century, industrial exploitation increased rapidly. Cities like Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool grew into large industrial hubs. Many children from poor families or orphanages were drawn into these cities. In 1788, children made up two-thirds of the workers in 143 water-powered cotton mills.

These children often faced hazardous and sometimes fatal working conditions.

Specific jobs during this era were particularly dangerous for young people. Boys as young as four worked as chimney sweeps. This job was so hazardous that it led to the first recognized occupational cancer. In the glass-making industry, boys faced intense heat from furnaces. This exposure caused eye trouble, lung ailments, and heat exhaustion. Many worked long night shifts, such as from 5:00 pm to 3:00 am.

In the United States, an estimated 1.7 million children worked in industry by 1900. By 1910, that number rose to over 2 million.

Reformers and governments eventually began to pass laws to curb these abuses. In Britain, the Factory Acts were passed to regulate working conditions. One law prevented children younger than 9 from working. Another act, the Cotton Mills Act, limited 9-to-16-year-olds to 12 hours per day. By 1901, the permissible working age in Britain was raised to 12.

As technology improved, there was a greater need for educated employees. This led to the rise of compulsory schooling and automation.

Not all child labour happened in large factories or mines. Many families engaged in home-based manufacturing operations. This allowed parents to generate income while managing household duties. In the United States, millions of families worked from home year-round. They produced items like shoes, toys, umbrellas, and matchboxes.

In France, over 58% of garment workers operated out of their homes. This trend moved much of the labour from factories into urban households.

Today, poverty and a lack of schools remain the primary causes of child labour. In the world's poorest countries, about one in five children is engaged in work. This rate is even higher in sub-Saharan Africa, where more than one in four children work. In 2017, four African nations saw over 50% of children aged 5–14 working.

Agriculture remains the largest employer of child labour globally. Most of this work occurs in rural settings or informal urban economies.

Despite these challenges, global trends show significant changes. The World Bank notes that the global incidence of child labour fell from 25% to 10% between 1960 and 2003. However, the total number of children involved remains a serious concern. In 2013, UNICEF and the ILO estimated that 168 million children aged 5–17 were involved in child labour.

While the percentage is decreasing, the scale of the issue is still vast.