newagebd.com http://www.newagebd.com/detail.php?date=2013-02-10&nid=39579/ February 2013 Inclusion of children of sex workers in mainstream education by Mohammed Norul Alam and Helena Ballestr Bon BANGLADESH, one of the most densely populated countries in the world, is trying to address the living conditions of a particularly marginalised segment of society. Over the years, ef f orts have been taken f or uplif ting the living status of marginalised communities, particularly people living in poverty. The social saf ety net coverage has been extended; measures have been adopted to address the problems of disadvantaged communities, the GDP has increased; and coverage of stipend programmes in the education sector has been increased to 90 per cent, resulting in a dramatic surge in enrolment (99%) and primary education completion (97.35%). However, some of the marginalised groups, including children of sex workers, of Dalit and Harijan communities, in remote areas, e.g. chars, haors, hills, and coastal belts, remain lef t out of the policy instruments and implementation plans. The policy instruments seem to have limited the def inition of ‘inclusion’ by addressing some of physical and psychological disabilities while the importance of education of sex workers’ children has clearly been ignored. The Primary Education Development Programme 3 (PEDP3) — the single programme of primary education covering all the primary schools — has also overlooked this particular group of children. This is clearly in violation of the constitution of Bangladesh and other international commitments signed by the government of Bangladesh. According to the constitution [Article 17 (a)], the state shall adopt ‘ef f ective measures to extend f ree and compulsory education to all children to such stage as may be determined by law.’ The f ree and compulsory primary education act has been enacted and the government has committed to ensuring f ree primary education f or all children. Several government programmes are directed to enhance higher education opportunities for girls. Ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child has obligated the government of Bangladesh to address the child rights situation in the country. As part of the convention, the government and some non-state actors have submitted reports with regards to child rights situation. On the basis of those reports, the review committee of the UNCRC came up with some ‘concluding observations’ in 2009 with regards to sexual exploitation, abuse, sale, and traf f icking of children. In contrast, many countries including India specially addressed the importance of education f or sex workers’ children and ‘specially mentioned’ it in their right to education act. The intention is to ensure that these children, among the most marginalised and also the most likely to be denied admission to school, have access to f ree, compulsory and quality education, as provided under the act. In Bangladesh, it is estimated that between 60,000 to 100,000 people are involved in sex work while more than 20,000 children were born and are living in the 18 registered red-light areas of Bangladesh. The Data of PIACT Bangladesh (study conducted at Daulatdia) suggested that a total of 902 children reside in the largest brothel of the country. According to their display board data, 67 out of those 902 children are currently working as sex workers whereas only 310 children are going to school. It was evident f rom the numbers that the dropout rate is high, while there are limited achievements in higher studies. According to Asia Child Rights (2002), approximately 13,000 children in Bangladesh are victim of the commercial sex industry. Another study indicated that the high percentage of sex workers being children and thus clearly underlining the f act that there is a market pressure f or very young sex workers (even girls f orced to f all into prof ession bef ore 12) and also revealing to an extent that children living in an around the brothel environment are susceptible to being lured into this prof ession. Children of sex workers undergo a vulnerable and emotionally challenging lif e due to their ascribed identity. The identity of being born with the tag of ‘Child of Sex Worker’ has dire af f ect on the socio- psychological growth of the child. Moreover, such identity hampers the process of a healthy growth f or such vulnerable children. In addition, children, who are born in such areas, grow up watching their mothers being exploited and eventually f all prey to such f orms of exploitation. Because of many complex f actors such as legal vacuum, lack of political commitment and mostly a conservative society, the sex workers and their sons and daughters are in a situation of exclusion where they are denied of even the most basic human rights including education. They are the victims of power structures that leave them exposed to inhumane conditions including lack of access to water and sanitation, property rights and legal protection, extortion, traf f icking and violence. Accordingly, children of sex workers are growing up in