June 12 is the World Day Against Child Labor. According to global statistics, between 120 to 150 million children aged 5 to 14 around the world are forced to be breadwinners for their families instead of attending school. The International Labour Organization cites poverty, lack of social support, and the inefficiency of some communities in ensuring educational services for children up to the minimum age as reasons for child labor. Meanwhile, accurate statistics on the number of child laborers in Iran are still unavailable. Child rights activists report figures in the millions, while government officials provide much lower numbers. According to IRNA, the official news agency of the Islamic Republic, Mohammad Mahdizadeh, the Deputy Educational Director of the Literacy Movement of the country, recently announced that in the past two years, 143,000 Iranian children have not been registered in any school. Additionally, last year, 67,000 students dropped out of elementary school. A representative from the Welfare Organization stated that there are about 70,000 street children in the country. According to ISNA, Habibullah Masoudi Farid mentioned that, on average, working children in Tehran earn between 50,000 to 70,000 tomans daily, stating that this income does not help their health, medical, and nutritional status, and expert assessments are needed to understand how these earnings are spent. The Welfare Organization's representative noted that the identification and educational follow-ups for these individuals are mainly conducted through NGOs or the education system, but identifying and registering these children remains a fundamental problem in organizing them, as many are unidentified and lack identity documents. However, the statistical discrepancies are not limited to Iran. While the International Labour Organization reported this year that 120 million children aged 5 to 14 worldwide are forced to work, UNICEF reported the number to be 150 million. According to UNICEF, except for regions like the Middle East, North Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, the number of working boys and girls aged 5 to 14 is about the same in the rest of the world, although in the mentioned regions, the number of boys is reported to be slightly higher than that of girls.
World Day Against Child Labor
June 12 marks the World Day Against Child Labor, highlighting the plight of millions of children forced to work instead of attending school. In Iran, significant discrepancies exist between government and activist reports on the number of child laborers, with recent statistics revealing alarming dropout rates and the existence of tens of thousands of street children. This issue underscores the broader global challenge of child labor and the need for effective intervention.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
June 12 is recognized as World Day Against Child Labor, bringing attention to the millions of children who work instead of going to school. In Iran, there are significant discrepancies between government and activist reports on child labor, with alarming dropout rates and a notable number of street children.
- 143,000 Iranian children have not been registered in any school in the past two years.
- There are approximately 70,000 street children in Iran.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Child labor remains a significant global issue, with millions of children working instead of receiving an education. In Iran, the lack of accurate statistics complicates efforts to address this problem.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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