Thailand:
education makes a difference in preventing child trafficking and
sexual exploitation
The Value of Training
Preventing the commercial sexual exploitation of
children is an IPEC priority. Srisaket Province in northeast Thailand
has a high incidence of child migration to the cities, where work
is sought. An IPEC-supported project, involving 22 schools with
high drop-out rates, has promoted the active participation of teachers
and the local community in preventing child labour. Material about
child labour for use by children and teachers in the classroom has
been developed to inform and teach children about the effects of
child labour on their health and safety, and about the laws applicable
to them. Teachers also have worked with parents to influence their
decision about whether children should be put into work or school.
The outcome was that most of the children in the
22 schools completed their basic education up to secondary level.
The experience convinced the Thai Ministry of Education to develop
and integrate a child labour curriculum into primary schools in
1998. Special promotional activities are currently being undertaken
by the Ministry in four provinces where there is a high incidence
of child labour and school drop-out.
An evaluation of the IPEC-supported action project
with the Development and Education programmes for Daughter and Communities
Center (DEPDC) in Chiang Rai Province, found that the DEPDC had
been very effective in organizing activities to provide life skills
and improve the quality of life of girls at risk of entering prostitution
and forced labour conditions.
None of the girls who completed the training were
lured into illegal work whereas many non-participating friends of
the girls entered the sex trade.
Recommendations for improvements
to the programme highlighted the need to:
n encourage more participation
and contribution from target groups (costs are relatively high)
n promote more community involvement;
expand awareness-raising and policy advocacy activities
n facilitate income generation
through locally marketable skills and community-initiated revolving
funds or cooperatives.
