In a stable family environment, where child labour is balanced against the need for education, the consequences are not necessarily damaging. However, where a child's intellectual, social, and emotional development is impaired because the nature of the work they undertake precludes education, it cannot be tolerated. National legislation outlawing positively harmful child work is part of the answer. International action can also play a valuable supportive role. The proposed ILO Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour will, if ratified, create the legal framework and political impetus for effective action.
Poor households are shrewd investors.
Where the quality of education is poor, and the perceived returns are low, they are unlikely to allocate scarce resources to enrolling their children in school. The agenda for improving the quality of education is long. Once again, there are differences between countries. Leaking classrooms, lack of access to safe water, and insufficient latrines pose health risks to children. They also create a deterrent to enrolment and a poor learning environment.