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Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) - Comoros (RATIFICATION: 2004)

Article 2(3) of the Convention. Compulsory schooling and application of the Convention in practice. In its previous comments, the Committee noted that child labour was a visible phenomenon in the country, particularly as a result of poverty and the low school enrolment rate of some children. In this regard, the Committee noted that the capacity of schools was very limited and that certain schools, particularly at the primary and secondary levels, were forced to refuse the enrolment of certain children of school age. Consequently, a large number of children, particularly children from poor families and disadvantaged backgrounds, were deprived of an education. Furthermore, on an organizational level, the country was facing a high demand for education which it was unable to meet due to the clear lack of resources available.

The Committee noted that the Government had adopted an Education for all by 2015 programme (“EFA by 2015” programme) and that a national movement for the education of girls had been launched. It nonetheless noted that, owing to a lack of data, it had been impossible to make projections concerning the achievement of the goals fixed by the “EFA by 2015” programme, except with regard to gender parity in primary education, where the indicators were that Comoros might not achieve the goals by 2015.

The Committee notes however the Government’s indication that efforts are being made to reduce the discrepancy between the enrolment rates of girls and boys and to expand school coverage to improve access to education for children living in rural areas. The Government indicates that gender parity has progressed and stands at 0.87 at primary school level. Gender parity is, however, less satisfactory at secondary school level where there has been a significant fall in the enrolment rate of girls. The Government considers that the problem of girls’ education is inherent in late enrolment, very high numbers of girls who repeat a school year –around 30 per cent in primary school and 23 per cent in secondary school – and a high drop-out rate, with only 32 per cent of pupils completing primary school.

The Committee notes however that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, in its concluding observations of 8 November 2012, noted with concern that 55 per cent of the total children between 6 and 14 years of age who were out of school were girls and that there were no alternative ways to accommodate these girls in the education system. It was further concerned about the gender disparity in primary and secondary school and about the alarming and persistent drop-out rates of girls in secondary school (CEDAW/C/COM/CO/1–4, paragraph 29). The Committee therefore expresses its concern at the high rates of school repetition and drop-out, and at the gender disparity in school attendance in Comoros. Considering that compulsory education is one of the most effective means of combating child labour, the Committee requests the Government to strengthen measures to this end and, in particular, to increase the school attendance rate and reduce the school drop-out rate, especially among girls, in order to prevent children under 15 years of age from working. The Committee also requests the Government to continue to provide information on the results achieved, as well as on the application of the Convention in practice, including, for example, statistics disaggregated by sex and age group and relating to the nature, extent and trends in the employment of children and young persons working below the minimum age specified by the Government at the time of ratification of the Convention, and extracts from the reports of the inspection services.

The Committee is raising other matters in a request addressed directly to the Government.