A large number of children in different char (shoal) areas under Kawnia and Gangachhara upazilas in the district are being deprived of education as they are compelled to engage themselves in various income-generating activities on account of extreme poverty.
According to sources about 40 percent children of the remote char areas of the district are not going to school though the government has declared primary education compulsory and tuition fees free.
Abject poverty, price hike of essential commodities, high rate of school drop out and ignorance of the parents are the main reason behind the spurt of child labourers in the district. Many parents in the char areas do not want their children to go to schools as they are not aware of education. So the parents send their children to work for supplementing their impoverished families.
The female children are the worst victims as their parents do not want to realise the necessity of education for their female chil Children in char areas are found engaged in various works like working in the crop lands, pulling vans, working at tea stalls, some are working as shepherd of grazing cattle, some others engaged in construction works and some are working as hawker.
Although the children at the age of six should be sent to school for education but a lot of boys and girls of different char areas of the region even after ten years age are not admitted to any educational institutions, sources said.
They are not obliged or encouraged to acquire education as their parents are extreme poor. The families of the children make them compelled to earn livelihood at their tender ages.
Every child labourers has been maintaining family with their poor income. Khabir (8) works at a tea stall at Ekota Bazar area under Char Nazirdaho village at Kounia upazila in the district said he was admitted to school in char Nazirdah but after some days stopped going to school due to severe poverty and began working at a tea stall. Acute poverty compelled him to give up school despite his earnest desire for going to school, he said in a sobbing voice.
