Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2016, published 106th ILC session (2017)

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Zambia (Ratification: 2001)

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (c). Use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities. Begging. The Committee previously noted that section 50(1) of the Juveniles Act of 1956 which prohibited the causing or procuring of a child to be in any street, premises or place for the purposes of begging or receiving alms, or of inducing the giving of alms applied only to children under the age of 16 years.

The Committee once again notes that the Government has not provided any information with regard to the measures taken or envisaged to extend the prohibition under section 50(1) of the Juveniles Act to children of 16–18 years of age. The Committee, therefore, once again requests the Government to take the necessary measures to prohibit the use, procuring or offering of children aged 16–18 years for begging.

Article 4(1). Determination of hazardous work. With regard to the adoption of the list of types of hazardous types of work prohibited to children under the age of 18 years, the Committee requests the Government to refer to its detailed comments under the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138).

Article 6. Programmes of action to eliminate the worst forms of child labour. National Action Plan for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour. The Committee notes from the Government’s report that it has been implementing the National Action Plan (NAP) for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (2010–15) which has recorded some achievements, including the enactment of the Prohibition of Young Persons and Children (Hazardous labour) Order 2013 which contains a list of hazardous types of work prohibited to children and young persons; and capacity building of law enforcement and labour officers. The Committee requests the Government to indicate whether it is envisaged to extend this NAP or to indicate any other programmes or action plans developed or envisaged for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (a). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour. Access to free basic education. In its previous comments, the Committee noted the various measures taken by the Government to improve the school enrolment and attendance rates.

The Committee notes the Government’s information in its report that in addition to the formal education system, the non-formal education system, the open and distance learning system, community schools and interactive radio centres of the education broadcasting services are operational in the country in order to serve geographically isolated children, children who have either dropped out of school or have never attended formal school as well as street and working children. The Government also indicates that the Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP) 2011–15, which was revised and extended to 2016 (R-SNDP) places education at the centre of the development process and has a specific chapter on education. The Ministry of Education also formulated the National Implementation Framework (NIF III) as a strategic document to guide the annual workplans and annual budget formulation for education as well as the monitoring and implementation of the R-SNDP at all levels of education. The Committee further notes the following measures taken by the Government to increase school enrolment rates and to reduce school drop-out rates:

• -introduction of Early Childhood Education (ECE) with a total of 70,773 students enrolled in 2014;
• -increase in the net recruitment of teachers with an average of 5,000 teachers per year;
• -introduction and implementation of the School Feeding Programme and Bursery Scheme to improve school attendance, retention and completion of school by vulnerable children;
• -development of the school infrastructure by expanding classrooms and constructing new schools, especially in rural areas;
• -introduction of the re-entry policy for girls who drop out of school due to early marriage and pregnancy; and
• -community sensitization on the importance of education, especially for the girl child.

The Committee further notes from the UNESCO Education For All 2015 National Review, Zambia that the introduction of the Free Primary Education Policy has led to the registration of over 1.2 million new learners with the net enrolment rate reaching over 97 per cent in 2013. The Committee notes, however, that according to UNESCO estimates, around 325,149 children were out of school in 2013. The Committee also notes that the Committee on the Rights of the Child, in its concluding observations of 14 March 2016, while welcoming the progress made in the enrolment, retention and progression of girls at the primary-school level, expressed concern that girls are dropping out of school due to early marriage, teenage pregnancy and discriminatory traditional and cultural practices, especially in rural areas (CRC/C/ZMB/CO/2-4, paragraph 53). While taking note of the measures taken by the Government, the Committee requests the Government to continue taking effective measures to improve the functioning of the education system, including by increasing the school enrolment rates and reducing school drop-out rates, particularly of girls in rural areas. It requests the Government to continue providing information on the measures taken in this regard, and on the results achieved.