Striving for a Greener Tomorrow

Catherine Chen, 10th Grade
San Jose CA
Notre Dame High School

Pieces of Hope

Minjie Yoo, 12th Grade
Palo Alto CA
Henry M. Gunn High School

Let The Child Learn

Naren S. Vutukuru , 8th Grade
San Jose CA
Miller Middle School

I am growing up Asian in America and I am very grateful to be a part of this great country, the land of abundant resources. In this country there are so many opportunities for everyone, starting with an education. Here, every child is allowed an education with no regard to status or heritage. However, being Asian, I do know that this is not true in some countries in Asia. Instead of being educated, children are put to work. Child labor is one of the main causes of illiteracy in Asian countries, and poverty causes child labor. Some people from these countries have not received any education since childhood and may not have even laid eyes on the pages of a book. This is illiteracy. The fact of anyone being illiterate in the United States is thought quite unusual for children are legally bound to attend school here; however, it’s nonconformity to think these things in some parts of Asia especially in countries like India. Based on my frequent visits to the country, I found out that, children whose parents live in poverty and cannot support their family alone are forced into labor to set food on the table thus living without an education. I strongly feel that this is unfair. My recent viewing of the Oscar winning movie” The Slum dog Millionaire” which depicted the reality in some parts of the country, also made me think about the children in poverty. I can proudly say that, if there was one thing I would change in the world, it’d be elimination of child labor and enforcement of child education.

Education, essentially, is the ticket to a successful life. However, it is not a privilege that only a gifted and lucky few may obtain. I believe every child has the born right to an adequate education. However, if a child is strenuously working for a coldhearted man in a sweatshop somewhere fifteen hours a day everyday, where is this child’s education? The parents of this child may not be able to afford it, but there are thousands of people in similar circumstances. As more families are thrown into poverty, more people are born into poverty, resulting in an endless chain. The government should not let this slip by. It should be funding organizations, it should be initiating relief funds, and it should be making great efforts to help educate children in their countries. The government should provide free schools with adequate facilities so that the children whose parents cannot pay for school can receive an education. This way, child labor won’t be present. True, there are laws against child labor, but they do not necessarily prevent it. I believe laws against child labor should be strongly enforced, more than it is right now.

So, the government has a part to play by strongly enforcing child labor laws, even if it is , sometimes it is very difficult for government to keep track of every nook and corner, especially in rural areas. So, citizens themselves have some responsibilities too. Whenever a person sees or witnesses an act of child labor which is blatantly illegal, it is that person’s duty to report it to the government so that the employer responsible is punished. You see, many people employ children because they work cheap and don’t have much of a sense of independence—meaning they can be censured and castigated. This is also wrong. You must not employ children or even force them into labor because of these reasons. Also, people should not purchase items manufactured through child labor just because they are cheap. Therefore, all of us must make our strongest efforts to discourage child labor and even end it.

I think the message that I am trying to convey is that we all should realize that child labor and illiteracy in any country can damage that country’s prosperity. The people of the government should believe in the importance of an education and make their best efforts to make it so that kids don’t have to work and can receive an education. Also, the people of the country, as in citizens, also have a responsibility to prevent child labor in the country by reporting it to the government, by not hiring children, and by not purchasing products made through child labor. We all need to be aware that children are backbone to a stronger world, no matter in which part of the world they are in. Need less to say that the success and prosperity of any country relies mainly up on the literacy rate in that country. If children are properly enlightened through education in their prime years of their life, without wasting them in work, they will, indeed be the most valuable asset to their countries. So we all have to keep this in our minds and try to do as much as we can to eliminate child labor completely and facilitate child literacy. What more do we need to make the world a better place? I strongly wish to see this awareness develop in people’s minds and everyone to make sincere efforts for this good cause and finally one day, we could be proud of what we did to make the world a better place.

6-year old and a Periodic Table

A six-year old toddler is tested by an adult if he can recite
the period table of elements. Watch and see for yourself
the boy's mastery of this high school science lesson.

CHANGE

Katie Jun-eun Kim , 11th Grade
Cupertino CA
Cupertino High School

Family

Rebecca Liu, 8th Grade Cupertino Challenger School