TNAG-0967-FCO40-1186-Employment-of-children-in-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 70

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App. I

Дор

Introduction

Child Labour in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Government is pleased to have this opportunity to comment on the Anti-Slavery Society's Report regarding child labour in the Territory, and to outline its programme for dealing with this vexed issue. It does not deny that child labour exists in Hong Kong but wishes to point out that it exists only on a small scale due to vigorous and sustained efforts by the Government over the past decade to eradicate it. Continuing efforts will be made to eradicate the problem completely.

Incidence of Child Labour

2.

The decreasing incidence of child labour in Hong Kong over the past decade is best indicated by comparing the statistics in the 1971 census with those in the 1976 bi-census and the subsequent six-monthly Labour Force Surveys from 1977 to 1979. (The next full census will be held in 1981). Figures from these sources are given in the table at Appendix I. It will be noted that the statistics concern the employment of children aged 12 and 13 only. This is because the minimum age of 10 which was used in 1971 to assess the economically active population had been increased to 12 by the time of the 1976 bi-census in order to take account of the introduction in 1971 of 6 years of free compulsory primary education for children up to the age of 12.

3.

These statistics should be treated with caution since the Labour Force Surveys were not designed to measure child emploTMment,; however they show that the labour force participation rate of chilanen aan? and 13 declined steadily during the 1970s (Irom 5.6% in 1971 to 0.8% in 1979). There are therefore grounds for believing that child labour is being eradicated slowly but surely, and the various measures described below will greatly assist this very desirable trend. In this context, it should be noted that the Government. has no knowledge of the independent sample survey with a large sample and a detailed questionnaire' said to have been conducted in Hong Kong in 1979 and referred to on page 3 of the Anti-Slavery Society's Report.

Measures adopted by the Government

to eliminate child labour

(a) Extending free, compulsory education

4

Since September 1978, the Government has provided 9 years' free education for every child, consisting of 6 years of primary education and 3 years of junior secondary education. Following this, the Education Ordinance was amended to make junior second ry education compulsory for children up to the age of 14 as from 1 September 1979 and

G.F. 324

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