Ss12-02 Child Labor and Education in the Handicraft

Introduction Child labor remains a social scourge that affects every country in the world, including Morocco, despite its ratification of the ILO Conventions on the Rights of the Child, Conventions 138 and 182. The craft sector is one of the sectors in which children are employed. Materials and Methods We have listed the surveys carried out in Morocco on this subject, using statistics from national institutions. Results Children are employed in the various craft trades without exception, often as apprentices; the majority under the age of 15, male and from rural areas. The reasons for employing are poverty, not attending or failing at school, and social integration through learning a trade. The conditions under which children work: poor health and safety conditions, mostly manual labor, lack of personal protective equipment, long working hours, poor pay, lack of medical supervision, inhumane practices by employers towards children – all have an impact on their physical, mental and even social health. Apprenticeship training centers have been set up, catering for children over the age of 15; with committees responsible for monitoring and assessing apprenticeship, working conditions and occupational safety. Conclusions Child labor in the craft sector still persists, and has a negative impact on children’s health and morals. A program to fight child labor, launched in Morocco in 2000, aims to reduce all forms of child labor, including in the craft sector, and has helped to reduce the number of child workers over the years.