Cape Verde

Government Policies and Programs to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor

The Government of Cape Verde has launched several initiatives aimed at improving basic education and providing universal education to all children.  The government=s current education reform plan contains strategies for improving the curriculum, training teachers and extending compulsory basic education.[465]  In July 2001, Cape Verde signed a MOU with the sponsors of Education for All in Cape Verde, which include FAO, UNESCO, UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, the World Bank, and WHO, under which the sponsors will collaborate in the preparing the National Plan of Action of Education for All, work to include more stakeholders in the system, and better share information.[466]

Incidence and Nature of Child Labor

In 1999, the ILO estimated that 13.7 percent of children between the ages of 10 and 14 in Cape Verde were working.[467]  There is no information available on the incidence of child labor in Cape Verde.  There are no reports specific to children, but Cape Verde is believed to be a transit point for the trafficking of persons to Europe.[468]

Primary school education is mandatory between the ages of 6 and 14 years and free for children ages 6 to 12.[469]  In 1997, the gross primary enrollment rate was 148.8 percent.[470]  Primary school attendance rates are unavailable for Cape Verde.  While enrollment rates indicate a level of commitment to education, they do not always reflect children’s participation in school.[471]   Textbooks have been made available to 90 percent of school children, and 83 percent of the teachers have attended in-service teacher training.[472]  Although most children have access to education, some problems remain.  For example, many students and some teachers speak Creole at home and have a poor command of Portuguese (the language of instruction); there is insufficient spending on school materials, lunches, and books; and there is a high repetition rate for certain grades.[473]

Child Labor Laws and Enforcement

The Labor Law sets the minimum age for employment at 14 years and prohibits children under the age of 16 from working at night or in enterprises that produce toxic products.[474]  Children between the ages of 14 and 18 may not work more than 38 hours per week or more than seven hours per day, except where special permission is granted, and can only work with