How do we get from where we are now to where we want to be by the SDG target date of 2025? Thanks to a growing body of practical experience, research and impact evaluations, we know progress relies centrally on an active government policy response — supported by workers’ and employers’ organizations and the wider international community — that addresses the array of factors that push or pull children into child labour. Progress does not, in other words, happen by itself, nor does it depend only on forces beyond the realm of policy. While economic growth is relevant, the accumulated evidence and experience suggest that policy choices and accompanying resource allocation decisions can matter even more.
Getting children off to a good start is one of the
most important strategies for ensuring that children
transition successfully from early childhood to
school rather than to the workplace
Schooling must be affordable in order to be a
viable alternative to child labour
Quality concerns can also play a role in pushing
children out of school and into child labour
