Lowering the Legal Working Age

Max Johnson

Many children can’t go to college because they are too poor, and other children have too much free time that they use to commit crimes.

The minimum age at which a child is allowed to work at all is fourteen, and a decent salary from a commercial job can only being earned if the child is sixteen. A child at the age of fourteen cannot be employed in any commercial venue with the exception of a family business.

Children, at the age of fourteen, should be allowed to work in a commercial venue with written permission from both the parent and the child. Also, seventy-five percent of all of the child’s earnings should be deposited in his or her special account, and the remaining twenty-five percent given to the parents to pay for his or her shelter, food, clothing, and other survival needs. Although the twenty-five percent of the child’s earnings would not pay for the essential objects needed to survive, students would learn the value of money. The child labor laws are clearly restricting the children from earning the money that they need in college. If kids could just work two or three hours a day from the age of thirteen for minimum wage, they would be able to afford a better education.

For poorer areas of the United States, lowering the age that a child can work in a commercial job from sixteen to fourteen would give children child a year longer to work, therefore helping to pay for their college tuition. Secondly, giving a child a job would limit a child with too much free time and keep him from being on the “streets,” causing trouble and possibly committing crimes. Finally, giving a child a job would teach him the value of money. Children would see how hard it is to buy the basic things needed to survive.

Some parents might abuse the extra money coming into the family and use the kids to get money for necessities. Also, some employers might take advantage of the innocence of children and have them do extra work with no extra pay. However, the working age should be lowered anyway.

Yes some parents, to a certain extent, would use their children to get money for themselves, and yes some employers would take advantage of the innocence of children. However, having the children own a special account for their earnings would justify these     occasional problems.

Children at the age of fourteen should be able to work in a commercial venue for the sake of their education and their behavior. Don’t let our nation’s crime and poverty levels continue to rise.

Contact the Webmaster