Your Friendly Philosopher & Guide

I am sure they are paid for their efforts, as no parents will allow their children to be models for free.

Well did I get the argument completely wrong? May be it is not about children working for money, but it is about children being subjected to hazardous circumstances. Hazards are everywhere. Who said children would enjoy those bright lights focused on their faces, when the ads are made?

I am from a city, which exports the largest number of knitted garments across the globe. And it used to recruit children working for their companies. And not on a single day – did I saw them not having fun while working. And there is not a single case of exploitation or abuse so far.

In fact they learnt the skill very fast in their lives, and even today they make a decent living using the skill they learnt early in their lives. The irony is a tailor, working in vests & brief company, makes more money (at least 10 k per month) than a degree holder (Rs 2000) in Tiruppur. Even today, if you want to find a job in Tiruppur, your educational qualification will only get you lesser pay than the person who knows the skill!

Education is the prime necessity of any human being - agreed. But skill is equally important in the present world. In fact I personally feel that skill are more important than education. Without knowing any skills you literally become beggars at the feat of employers & the government.

There is a government run Tamil medium school near my place. It is a huge school, and should at least have 300 children. And 90 per cent of the children walk to the school barefooted in the scorching sun of Chennai – is that not hazardous? Few hang and get squeezed in the crowded bus reaching their schools – is that not hazardous?

Of course education is important – but then not every body is adept at learning or mugging up formulas. That is what our present educational system is all about. Is it not an emotional abuse, when one child good at mugging up is considered a good student compared to one, whose interests are something else - apart from getting educated?

Salman Khan failed in his 10th a couple of times, and even Sachin Tendular failed in his 12th. I am sure they make more money than any of the IITians and IIMites, based on their skills of acting and batting respectively.

Children should be subjected to both work, and also education hand in hand. It is their decision to choose between education and work, whichever they feel they can do better. By blocking one option completely, just because UNICEF needs funds to run their organization, we will create more educated dumbos than sharp professionals, which includes – mechanics, tailors, carpenters or shop keepers.