Brazilian children assisted by the Program for the Erradication of Child Labor (Peti) do better in school than those who don’t participate in the program and continue to work in such areas as agriculture, commerce, and domestic services.
Of a total of 568,608 youngers benefitted by the program, 14.5% are in the fifth year of fundamental education. This percentage drops to 8% among those who have yet to enter the program.
These data are contained in a study on Peti beneficiaries, released today by the Ministry of Social Development and Hunger Alleviation (MDS).
The study also found that 54% of the beneficiaries are male, 60% are between the ages of 11 and 16, and 54% have been in the program for a maximum of three years.
81% of the beneficiaries live in rural areas, and 78% receive Peti stipends through the municipal government.
In most cases (63.6%), families have only one child enrolled in the program. According to the MDS, however, this does not mean that there is only one child or adolescent in each family.
The survey was conducted between December, 2004, and April, 2005, with information from 2,011 municipalities, representing 72% of the municipalities where the program is functioning and 61% of the children and adolescents who are receiving help.
The data that were gathered will be used to facilitate the inclusion of all the government’s social programs in a single register.
Agência Brasil