The focus on International Day Against Child Labour which falls today is on raising awareness about education being the right response to child labour.

Sri Lanka has creditable achievements in aspects of education such as school enrolment, literacy and gender equity within the asian region. But the the country is faced with increasing levels of poverty due to the rising cost of living, Panos said.

Dr. Hiranthi Wijemanne, former Chairperson of the Child Protection Authority pointed out at a recent seminar on eliminating child labour organized by the Panos Institute in Colombo to coincide with the Day Against Child Labour,that at least 70% of children in Sri Lanka carry out domestic work and other economic activities. Ninety five percent of these children hailed from rural areas.

In Sri Lanka, the commemoration of this day comes amidst heavy lobbying by educators to change the compulsory schooling age from fourteen to sixteen years. This change is among the ten proposals handed over to the Minister of Education, Susil Premajayantha by the All Ceylon Union of teachers and Education International affiliates in Sri Lanka last month. Therefore a key focus in Sri Lanka this year is on the role of teachers in combating child labour.