EU calls for quality education, childcare for children

Access to quality education and childcare of children is the best investment that can be made and is a prerequisite for breaking cycles of inter-generational poverty, said several senior European Union (EU) officials in a joint statement on Friday.

Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission, Neven Mimica, Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Christos Stylianides, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labor Mobility, and Vera Jourova, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality jointly made the statement on the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labor.

"Child labor not only condemns children today and future generations to lives of poverty and social injustice, but is depriving the entire world of an invaluable capital of knowledge, resourcefulness and creativity," said the statement.

It also noted that child labor is not only limited to the poorest countries, but the economic crisis has created an environment in which more and more children and minors give up on school even in developed economies.

"The EU will continue to invest heavily in education and pursue its efforts to ensure all children in all settings have access to quality education," promised the commissioners in the statement.

It added that "child labor is one of the greatest barriers to achieving the international development goal of universal primary education. The elimination of the worst forms of child labor, including children and armed conflict, will remain our priority for the period 2014-2020." Endit