Campaigns to End Child Labor Every day, 215 million children
(nearly one-seventh of the world's youth population) are forced
to work long hours for little or no compensation, often placing
themselves in grave physical danger in the process. They mine
coal, cut bricks and harvest crops, exposing themselves to
dangerous fumes and chemicals. They weave carpets, deforming
their spines as they crouch over looms. They even make
fireworks, risking explosions that can leave them disfigured or
dead. In addition to forcing them to grow up prematurely and
exposing them to dangerous conditions, child labor denies
children the only thing that can give them a future with hopes
and dreams: an education. Eliminating child labor and improving
access to education go hand in hand. The AFT believes that every
child in the world has the right to a high-quality, free,
compulsory education. Such an education is not only a basic
human right, but also a powerful tool for helping the poorest
members of a society improve upon their soc