Question

1. Development economists consider the phenomenon of child labor as an example of ‘bad equilibrium’. Discuss briefly any two alternatives to a complete ban on child labor.

Answer 1

Child labor: Employment of children in work at that age where they should attend school, this will mentally , physically and morally dangerous to the society as they are future citizens who are part of a society. Most of the international organisations say that child labour is exploitive in nature.

Two alternatives to ban child labour is

1) Making strick rules that those who are making children work in their places will be punished severely by keeping in prison for atleast 7 years. If this rule is made it will create a fear in the minds of people who are trying to make children work and they will be thinking if they were caught they should spend their life in jail. Thus it will reduce child labour and if government after making this rule keep a good monitoring that this law is implemented strictly child labour will be obviously banned in any country.

2) The main reason for child labour is poverty as people below income level are not able to afford to make their children to send them to schools and there are some cases where they can't even get enough food for a week. Government should make a law that all government schools will be running free with a quality education and food is provided to children both in morning and afternoon at free cost. If they are able to find people who are in poverty they can make their children go to school and also help the family by giving training in skill development and provide loan to them to start a small business which will help them to come from poverty level.

So it is like both child labour along poverty will decline and make country grow economically.