Janakpur, Mar. 13: The child labourers, aged between 10 and 14 years of age are reported to have been found in great number in Dhanusha district.

According to the statistics published by the District Development Committee, in the district there are about 55,000 children between the age of 10 and 14 years, 45.77 per cent of whom are labourers.

The survey conducted in 101 VDC’s shows that only 50.45 per cent of the child labourers go to school.

There are 192 govt. primary schools, 16 lower secondary schools and 36 secondary schools, 2 higher secondary schools and 2 campuses in the district.

The rural parents in the district still lack general awareness about the importance of sending their children to schools. eventhough they are aware of it, the poverty-stricken and jobless parents cannot afford to provide school to their children.

Hence the general trend in the rural areas is that a son joins labour force by the time he is 10.

Even those who can afford education for the children are putting them to household works or to farming activities.

According to the in-charge of Janakpur Labour Office Nabin Pokharel, 31 children working at a number of industries in the district.

District development committee chairman ramcharit sah ascribed the increasing number of child labour to lack of public awareness.

Social worker Rudra Narayan Jha stresses the need for the government to launch special programme designed to resolve the problem of child labour.

The local people believe that the number of child labour will drop once the economic condition of the poor families improve.