Photos and interviews by Cathy Richards
Minister of Labour Manzoor Nadir recently announced that he was considering changing the labour legislation to allow children as young as 13 years old to do some jobs. Currently children from 15 years old can do some jobs. Last week we asked the people in the street at Berbice if they thought the age should be lowered. This week we took the same question to the man/woman in the street at Linden. Below are their responses:
Cloyd Brush – ‘I would not have a problem supporting this recommended amendment because I think there is nothing wrong with children at age 13 doing certain work. The fact of the matter is that children usually have a lot of free time after school other than homework. With that free time I don’t see a problem with them helping out with the shop, helping to sell grocery and things like that at whatever business their parents may have and I think that could work. If you are to carefully examine it, this is already happening in many communities and upon careful examination you would realise that these same children are doing satisfactorily in school. More than that, a 13-year-old of today is not like the 13-year-old of long ago. In these times, a 13-year-old understands work ethics and would make rings around some of us. Everything has gone to another level, so I believe it can work.’
Basil Jailpaul – ‘There are some parents who would need the extra income, so it is my opinion that if children at the age of 13 should work they should only be made to do certain jobs for a specified amount of hours. They should not do tedious jobs they should only be allowed to do small chores for not more than two to three hours during the week day and maybe about four hours on weekends. In this way they would still have enough time to do school work.’
Tessa Esbrand – ‘In Guyana we have a major shortage of jobs. Right now we have hundreds of people over 15 years on the streets without a job many with their CXC. A lot of them are also university graduates and they have no jobs. So if we are to lower the age now, what we are saying? What we need to focus on as a nation is how we can possibly create new jobs to reduce the unemployment rate in this country. There are thousands out there without jobs.’
Shenella Webster – ‘At the age of 13 years a child is still very young having them work at that age you would first be depriving them of an education. The time that child would have to take to work they would be deprived from getting involved in school and other extracurricular activities like playing. At that age is when they are beginning to figure out in their little minds what it is they would like to do when they would have grown older. At this age the child should be in form one or two and that is a critical age and rather than being focused on their ambition for life, their little minds now have to be made to think about work; think about providing food for the family or other things that they really and truly shouldn’t be burdened with at that tender age.’
Desiree Alleyne – ‘At 13 those children are too young to be working at that age because they are not fully matured. It is crazy for one to even to entertain such a thought. We all know that when you start to earn cash all you keep thinking of is to keep getting more and because at that age children’s ability to reason out things is very poor. So when they get a little money in their hand today, tomorrow they get another thousand or two they would feel good and think that is good enough. They would not think that they should go to school and get an education which would later allow them to get respectful and better paying jobs. I don’t even agree with it being from age 15 as it is right now. For me from age 18 is more workable. So rather than thinking of putting it down to 13 years they should look at putting it to 18. That should be the amendment.’
Mario Caesar – ‘At age 13 that precious human being is still a kid now adjusting to a new phase of maturity and I think that the bones would not have matured to withstand the rigours of employment coupled with the fact that they would not have been exposed to any proper level of education that is fitting for the world of work. It is really unfair that the administration is giving that a thought. We should be more responsible than that and I think we owe our kids the responsibility of allowing them to be properly nurtured to the level of maturity that they should have.’
Carla Nedd-Luckie – ‘I don’t think that children at 13 should work that is way too young. At that age they are still babies they still need nourishing they still need so much more moulding attention. Education is much more important. Thirteen year olds should be in school focusing on academics that is number one. Number two, I personally feel that children should be made to work from the age of 18 years, so that 15 years for work should change to 18. One would want to argue that there are some slow learners who would drop out of school early but my contention is that if they don’t make it in the classroom 99.9% of the time they make in the technical areas. So stronger efforts should be focused on catering for early school leavers or slow learners to acquire technical skills and let them practice, practice, practice. That is my contribution and I think the government should look at it from this angle.’
Winston Caesar – ‘I am in disagreement. At the age of 13 the child is still a minor and by right they should be under parental guidance. The disadvantages are that one; they would be deprived of focusing fully on academics which would take them a very far way in life. I know it’s a fact that some families need the assistance but I don’t agree with a child from the age of 13 going out in the field and work.’
Charles Sampson – ‘A child at the age of 13 should be in school and there are no bones about that. We in this country cannot have kids at that age working. Unemployment in this country is already high and to even think that someone would even think of even entertaining such a thought, someone is definitely misguided and not thinking in the right direction. The age of work should be kept exactly where it is and find jobs for people. Thousands of children are coming out of school every year and can’t get jobs. If we now put 13 year olds on the job market we only creating mayhem. A child can help their parents and that is an informal form of work. They are not necessarily working for an income because they wouldn’t be paid. I think in the family or home setting one could understand. Having a 13-year-old employed in an official institution is utter nonsense. They should be in school learning academic and other technical skills full stop.’
Shaunnette Stephens – ‘To have a child under the law being permitted to work would have a negative impact on them. In this case it would mean that as soon as they complete primary school they are protected by law to go and work. Many of them would even want to think about furthering their education to the secondary level. Even worse parents and guardians would have a back-breaking time to get them to be obedient. Could you picture a grandparent type family with a 13-year-old who tells himself that he could go out there and work, it is already a major challenge for these parents to control some of these kids much the merrier when they think that they could go out there and make two dollars for themselves. If the government is thinking of making this kind of adjustment the entire nation should oppose it and the human rights association should stand firm against this.’