Children's Rights

The Child Must Work, Not Go to School

Q: The law you cited only applies to adult workers, not children. So it has no bearing on our decision to have our child work.

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Q: We are not dismissing anyone; we are simply choosing not to send our child to school. The law you quoted is irrelevant.

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A child is kept out of school to provide labour for the family's financial survival

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The Situation

What They Said

“The child must work, not waste time at school — we need the money and school will not feed us.”

This phrase is used by a parent or guardian facing financial hardship who withdraws a child from school to contribute economically to the household, framing education as a luxury rather than a right.

The Fallacy

False Dilemma / Short-term Thinking

This argument presents a false dilemma: that a child must either work or the family will not survive. In reality, there are social support systems, school feeding schemes, and legal frameworks designed precisely to prevent this choice from being necessary. It also applies short-term economic reasoning to a decision with profound long-term consequences — a child denied education faces a lifetime of reduced economic capacity, which harms both the child and the family in the long run.

What the Law Says

Your Legal Foundation

Ley de Contrato de Trabajo 20.744

art. 245 de la Ley de Contrato de Trabajo — Child labor prohibition

“In cases of dismissal decided by the employer without just cause, whether or not prior notice was given and after the probationary period has elapsed, the employer must pay the worker compensation equivalent to one (1) month's salary for each year of service or fraction greater than three (3) months, based on the best monthly, normal and habitual remuneration earned during the last year or during the period of service if it is shorter.”

The parent's statement suggests that the child is being withdrawn from school to work, which may constitute child labor and violate compulsory education laws. However, the provided law (Article 245 of the Labor Contract Law) only addresses severance pay for unjust dismissal, not child labor or education. Therefore, this law does not directly apply to the situation.

What Scripture Says

God's Word on This

Proverbs 22:6 (NET)

“Train a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”

Scripture commends investing in a child's formation and training — education is a form of that investment, and its long-term value vastly exceeds short-term economic gain from child labour.

Hosea 4:6 (NET)

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will reject you as my priest. Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.”

Scripture identifies lack of knowledge as the cause of destruction — denying a child education places them at the very risk that the Word identifies as harmful.

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You Know the Law — But Do You Know What to Say?

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What They'll Say Next

Common Counter-Arguments

After you respond, they may push back with these arguments. Members get the full rebuttal for each.

They might say: “The law you cited only applies to adult workers, not children. So it has no bearing on our decision to have our child work.”

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They might say: “We are not dismissing anyone; we are simply choosing not to send our child to school. The law you quoted is irrelevant.”

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