Search

In Nepal, internal migration by the poorest families for employment, including to the brick kilns of the construction industry has been identified as a policy and research priority by the Government of Nepal. While support for children's education is considered vital to reduce risk to child labour Nepalese children's access to education is sporadic and incomplete when they travel with their families for seasonal work. This paper offers a review of recent research on educational interventions to support children of migrating families and examines the role and responses of government, non-governmental organisations and employers to mitigating the risks to engagement in, and reducing impacts of child labour in this hazardous industry. It shows that educational interventions focus on access to schooling and non-formal education, livelihood support and child safeguarding, but suggests these need to be concomitant with an agreed local strategy for holistic child and youth development that includes parents and children perspectives. This paper will provide insights into areas for coordinated action for children of migrant workers of brick kilns and pointers for future research on migration, child labour and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published in 1863, Charles Kingsley's widely-acclaimed children's novel The Water-Babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby provides a picture of nineteenth-century England with its representation of the idyllic countryside set against the industrial towns and its emphasis on social injustices and harsh living conditions of the working class. The novel tells the story of a young chimney-sweeper, Tom, who, while being chased after by a group of people who accuse him of theft, falls into the river and transforms into a water-baby. In line with the Romantic attributes of childhood such as innocence and purity, Kingsley's novel offers a pronounced critique on the issue of child-labour. The earlier parts of the novel represent child labour prevalent in the nineteenth century in a realistic manner, whereas the latter parts, where Tom's underwater journey as a water-baby is depicted, bring a critical perspective to child labour and social inequality in an overly unrealistic style through the use of fantastic elements. Kingsley's making use of fantastic elements in his novel not only helps him present such serious subject matters in a manner, which is more proper for the child reader but it also makes it possible for him to deliver his criticism in implicit ways. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to explore the ways in which Charles Kingsley's The Water-Babies elaborates on child labour, and to argue that the use of fantastic elements in Kingsley's novel offers an alternative way of looking at real social problems rather than escaping them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aravind Adiga's short story collection 'BETWEEN THE ASSASSINATION' is written parallel with his Booker Prize winning novel 'THE WHITE TIGER'. 'Between The Assassination' is a collection of short stories set in thefictitious town of Kittur, which is almost certainly Mangalore. But the plight of the Poor and exploitation of the poor can befound everywhere even in their houses also. In Adiga's short story collection, 'In Between the Assassination' we can hear the unsaid voice of the people from Darkness. Each of the stories in 'Between the Assassination' begins with a short touristy description of some section of the town, replete with anthropological detail; the anodyne blandness of the travel guide throws into relief the clutter and chaos of small town life, where "a subaltern army of semen, blood and flesh" jostles to survive. Mostly poor's are exploited. Exploitation of the poor begins from their house itself and it is continued by this society throughout their life. Most of the Child labors are produced by theirfamily members and give shoulders to theirfamilies. The parent doesn't know their duties and they think children are money earning machines, they should earn money and they have to rescue theirfamily. Thus they create child labors. In working place, this society exploits them through giving over work, cheating and vulgarity. Adiga clearly portrays how poor are being exploited by their ownfamily members and by this society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]