• Says economic hardship drives students into child labour, particularly in plantations, fishing, and tourism

The Ministry of Labour has identified cases where children under the age of 18 are engaging in illegal child labour while wearing school uniforms, allegedly to avoid detection, The Daily Morning learns.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, Ministry Secretary S.M. Piyatissa said that economic hardship has forced children from certain families to engage in economic activities. “We have identified instances where children, instead of attending school, engage in various economic activities while wearing school uniforms, giving the impression they are returning from school,” he said.

He added there are also instances where students perform as beggars. "We have imposed strict laws regarding this issue and are coordinating with the Women and Child Affairs Ministry to address it," he said.

Piyatissa noted the highest incidence of child labour is reported in the plantation sector. "This trend is also seen in the fishing and tourism industries. We do not label a child in a fisherman’s family helping out their parents as child labour. We have criteria. If a child is engaged in such work, it should not take up a considerable portion of the day, and it should not affect their studies or physical and mental health," he added.