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Factors for succcess in vocational education for child laborers


Child labor projects funded by the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) mitigate exploitive labor through the provision of relevant education programs. Predominantly these programs provide primary and secondary schooling to former child laborers. Vocational programs cost more per student and are therefore usually limited, depending on available funds.

However, the success of vocational programs to retain students and provide them with income opportunities after graduation, make them highly viable in combating child labor.

A USDOL project in northern Uganda provided 8,176 beneficiaries with access to education in 137 primary schools, 52 secondary schools, 8 accelerated learning centers, and 28 vocational educational institutions. Most enrollments were in formal primary/secondary schools (70%), with 18% in vocational institutes, and 12% in accelerated learning programs. The project’s emphasis on girls’ education and the inclusion of child mothers into vocational training courses contributed to the project’s strengths.

The Ugandan Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) credited USDOL projects' high retention rate to the following:

• USDOL projects are selective in identifying students for support;
• USDOL projects pay tuition and examination fees, and supplies uniforms, bags and shoes to beneficiaries;
• USDOL projects provide psycho-social counseling for students; and
• USDOL projects follow-up on all students.

The Government of Uganda does not have the resources to emulate the success of USDOL projects. Neither do other countries combating child labor or the low retention rate of students, particularly girls, in education programs.

USDOL's other strength is their teacher training interventions. USDOL projects conduct training for teachers in a range of topics, in addition to child labor, such as guidance and counseling; learner-centered methodologies; the use of instructional materials; child rights and child protection; HIV/AIDS; peace education; and reading corners. The added confidence and skills enables teachers to create welcoming classrooms conducive to group work and learner-centered methodologies that increase the interest of students, attain high retention levels, and improve students’ academic performance.

Projects designed around a community-driven multi-faceted approach with a multi-pronged referral system and community-based child monitoring system by stakeholders, such as community groups, line ministries, education and labor inspectors, committees, parents and students also contributes to the success of child labor programs. USDOL interventions, based upon participatory and inclusive decision-making, contribute to positive and transformational changes toward the reduction of child labor.





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