It is argued that human resource is the key to successful development of a country. If a country, like Bangladesh, has a considerable number of children, then it might not foster its development without providing proper education as well as opportunities to enter into job market to these children. A number of children dropped out from school every year for various reasons. This happens even before completion of primary education mainly due to poverty of their family. As a result, they are bound to live in impoverished condition, remain under the poverty line. Their poverty does not only suffer them but it also hinders national growth as well. No doubt, it is not impossible to make path of a better life to these underprivileged working children by ensuring proper education, marketable training and job opportunities, which will help them to keep
dignity in society as well as alleviation of poverty contributing to country’s economic growth. In this context it is important to discuss the theoretical framework of socio- economic development of these deprived working children through ensuring minimum level of education, necessary vocational training leading to a successful entrance to a competitive job market. Researchers, educationalists, social scientists and policy makers did not pointed out any single way or theory on this issue.
Kalam (2007) suggested to create opportunity for identify the reasons of why and how the children get themselves involved in child labor. According to him arranging strategies and action plan for both the short term as well as long term basis is needed to eradicate child labor. It is possible to turn underprivileged children in to human resource by proper implementation and enforcement of the existing laws or introducing the new law in relation to it. He suggested employers’ positive attitude for getting proper wage of working children can improve the socio-economic standard to them.
Aktaruzzaman and Clement (2011) had approached for facilitating vocational education and training to the underprivileged children because of increasing globalization and liberalization in most of the countries across the world, realization of the challenges faced to make Vocational Education and Training (VET) system to be more need-based and effective, more dynamic and responsive to the changes taking place in the industrial scenario. The graduates coming out from VET institutions need to be more capable of excellent performance. Therefore, VET system must respond to the rapidly changing technological needs of the world of work by continuously evaluating and modifying curricula, introducing new courses, vocational teacher education, modernizing laboratories and workshops through close partnership between VET institution and the world of work. Therefore, significant reform need to be made in the domain of better adapting vocational teacher education and well structured VET system and it has the direct impact to enhance competitiveness of skill workforce for the labor market, productivity and to promote entrepreneurial activity.
Proper implementation and enforcement of child labor prohibition laws is the way for the eradication of the curse of child labor is criticized by Aktar and Abdullah (2013).
They told that child labor was recognized as a considerable part of the existing labor market. They further argued that there was no question as regards the indispensability of
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elimination of child labor from the society but question arose whether it would bring good for society. Child labor problem is a socio-economic reality in the country which cannot be ignored. Hence steps have to be taken at first to decrease child labor gradually rather removing it diametrically from the society. It should be remembered that if child labor is driven out just now from the country then that would jeopardize the child laborers who earn their own bread or for the families who depend on child workers, according to them.
Islam, Rahman and Khatun (2013), ban on child labor is a crucial issue as children are engaged in different hazardous works which are likely to have adverse effect on the child’s safety, health and moral development. However, if child labor is strictly prohibited and implemented then parental income losses will be increased. They differed from the idea ban on child labor has negative impact on fruitfulness and produces uncertain effect on education. Rather they strongly argued on banning child labor has no direct long term negative impact on ‘family-economic strength’ but it encourages school enrollment. Besides, if child labor is banned most of the parents are highly agreed to schooling their children by scarifying their income source as low as possible which undoubtedly increases literacy rate.
Watson (2008) identified ‘Child Work’ as traditional for children to contribute their families and also considered beneficial for their personal development. He supports to a moderate amount of work in safe conditions which may promote children to develop useful skills and a sense of responsibility because they may value their education more if they have to work to afford schooling costs. He found that the short term impact of child labor might be negligible of certain children in a certain society. Reducing the number children in a family will require households to be very forward-looking and to have access to sufficient credit to fund the cost of schooling without requiring their children work. He insisted on household level awareness building for the voluntary elimination of child labor to occur.
UCEP is one of these non-governmental organization which have formulated a combined curriculum for these peripheral children to take them into the mainstream of national development. To fulfill the goal, UCEP should change its current abridged
curriculum into full NCTB curriculum and increase course duration from six months one year. UCEP students enter into the school at the age of 10/11years and after finishing the course generally they enter into the job under 18 years, by changing its curriculum and course duration, students will receive education according to NCTB as well as they will enter into job market after 18 years age, which will support the children law. UCEP should increase its number of trades in various to get access of its graduates into newly formed job market who may also be self employed after getting training. It is found that UCEP is fully dependent on foreign aid to run itself and has no own factories or institutions. UCEP should take steps to increase its capacity to raise its own financial capacity which will reduce dependency on foreign donors.
Upgrading its curriculum from six months to one year will not be an impediment for graduates to enter into job. UCEP can produce more skilled manpower by increasing marketable trades into training program and establishing own income generating factories and institutions will reduce its dependency on foreign aid.
1.7 Key Terms of the Study