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### Viewing cable 09SANJOSE55, COSTA RICA: 2008 WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR REPORT

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
09SANJOSE55 | 2009-01-29 16:04 | 2011-03-21 16:04 | UNCLASSIFIED | Embassy San Jose

`

    VZCZCXYZ0011
    PP RUEHWEB

    DE RUEHSJ #0055/01 0291612
    ZNR UUUUU ZZH
    P 291612Z JAN 09
    FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0449
    RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
    INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0330
    RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

` `

    UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000055

    SIPDIS

    DEPT FOR WHA/CEN, DRL/ILCSR TDANG, AND PLEASE PASS TO DEPT OF LABOR
    ILAB TMCCARTER

    E.O. 12958: N/A
    TAGS: ELAB EIND ETRD PGOV PHUM SOCI KTIP CS
    SUBJECT: COSTA RICA: 2008 WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR REPORT

    REF:  A. 08 STATE 127448
          ¶B. 07 SAN JOSE 2041
          ¶C. 08 SAN JOSE 911
     ¶D. 08 SAN JOSE 519

    -------
    SUMMARY
    -------

    ¶1. The following is the 2008 worst forms of child labor report for
    Costa Rica in response to Ref A; it updates our 2007 report, Ref B.
    Answers are keyed to Ref A, and source documents will be emailed to
    DOL/ILAB TMcCarter per same.  The Government of Costa Rica is
    committed to eliminate the worst forms of child labor from the
    country by 2010.  Child labor is most prevalent in rural, informal
    agricultural sectors, especially among migrant populations.  Male
    working children and adolescents join the labor force in larger
    numbers than do females.  The government institution in charge of
    the fight against child labor is the Ministry of Labor's (MTSS')
    Office for the Eradication of Child Labor and Protection of the
    Adolescent Worker (OATIA).  This office helps coordinate policy and
    actions taken by other agencies such as the Ministry of Education,
    the National Child Welfare Agency (PANI) and the Ministry of Housing
    (MIVAH) to combat child labor.  The government continued the
    "Avancemos" education subsidy program, which was implemented in
    ¶2006.

    ¶2. The Sixth Report on the State of the Rights of Children and
    Adolescents in Costa Rica (EDNA), researched and written by the
    public University of Costa Rica (UCR) in conjunction with UNICEF and
    published in 2008, presents the latest available statistics on the
    GOCR's fight against child labor.  It notes significant progress in
    the ten years since the government implemented the Children and
    Adolescents Code (CNA), and it presents an updated profile of
    working adolescents ages 15-17.  The International Labor
    Organization's International Program for the Eradication of Child
    Labor (OIT-IPEC) plays a major role in designing, funding, and
    directing anti-child labor projects in Costa Rica.  END SUMMARY.

    -----------------------------------
    ¶A. CHILD LABOR LAWS AND REGULATIONS
    -----------------------------------

    ¶3. PROVISIONS: Costa Rica has enacted a comprehensive set of child
    labor laws, including definitions of the worst forms of child labor
    and the minimum age for employment.  Among these laws, the Children
    and Adolescents Code (CNA, Law No. 7739), promulgated in 1998,
    establishes special protection for adolescent workers.  Without
    exception, children under 15 years of age are prohibited from
    working (Article 92 of CNA), while adolescents 15 to 17 years of age
    may work  no more than 6 hours per day and 36 hours per week
    (Articles 78, 80, 95 and 103 of CNA).  Article 79 guarantees a
    minimum salary for workers age 15-17.  The CNA also establishes the
    right to work-related health insurance, training, time to study,
    notification and just cause for firing, and more.  Article 84
    extends protection to those who work in family businesses.  The
    country does not have a military.

    ¶4. HAZARDOUS WORK: Article 94 of the CNA describes, in general
    terms, the types of jobs that are prohibited for adolescent workers
    (ages 15-17).  Those under 15 are not permitted to work, and only
    adults 18 and over may work in jobs that are considered hazardous.
    Executive Order No. 29220-MTSS, which took effect in 2001, augments
    the list of hazardous jobs.  OATIA states that with this directive,
    Costa Rica complies fully with the International Labor
    Organization's Convention 182 on eradicating the worst forms of
    child labor.

    ¶5. HAZARDOUS WORK LEGISLATION: Legislation (Bill 15.929) to bring
    Costa Rican law in agreement with Article 3(d) of Convention 182 by
    establishing a list of hazardous jobs is still pending in the
    National Assembly's Committee on Children and Adolescence.  This
    legislation would codify the list in law instead of having it exist
    under executive order only.  The ILO noted that enacting this
    legislation has not been a priority for the National Assembly; the
    bill has been pending since 2005.  However, the National Assembly is
    notoriously slow to act on most legislation due to complex, arcane
    rules of order, and its highly-diffuse political structure.  (There
    are four major parties, three minor parties and three independent
    members in the 57-seat, unicameral legislature.)

    ¶6. WORST FORMS: According to the ILO (OIT, Spanish acronym), two
    reforms to the Penal Code brought worst forms of child labor and
    penalties into conformity with ILO Convention 182.  Law 7899 of
    August 1999 codified many crimes of commercial sexual exploitation
    for the first time and enhanced protection for victims of already
    existing crimes.  Law 8590 of August 2007 further strengthened
    protection for minors under the Penal Code in regard to rape, sexual
    abuse, pornography, and more.  Prison sentences range from 6 months
    to 10 years for crimes ranging from possessing/producing
    pornography, sex with minors, corruption, pimping, and trafficking
    in persons (including sexual servitude and forced labor).  (For a
    chart of penalties, see OIT-IPEC response, to be sent via email.)

    --------------
    ¶B. ENFORCEMENT
    --------------

    ¶7. REMEDIES: Legal remedies available to enforce child labor laws
    are established in the CNA (civil fines, Article 101) and the Labor
    and Criminal Codes (labor and criminal penalties and court orders).
    The Ministry of Labor and the court system are available to provide
    enforcement and remedies.

    ¶8. INTEGRAL ATTENTION TO VICTIMS: With assistance from ILO, in
    September 2008, the government released the Intra-institutional
    Directive for Immediate Attention for Minor Workers.  This directive
    sets forth procedures that divisions of the Labor Ministry must
    follow upon detecting a case of child or adolescent labor that
    requires attention.  In addition, the Protocol for
    Inter-institutional Coordination for the Immediate Attention of
    Minor Workers established coordination procedures among different
    entities with responsibilities related to child and adolescent
    labor.

    ¶9. GOVERNMENT RESOURCES: OATIA reported that the Labor Ministry
    spent USD $496,000 on child and adolescent labor between 2002 and
    2007, in administrative overhead including salaries, transportation,
    per diem and office supplies.  The amount budgeted for 2008 was USD
    $12,000 for the same.  OATIA noted that the drop was due to
    receiving a nearly-offseting amount of international aid for child
    labor programs for the period from 2002-2007.  Also, for 2008, the
    government budgeted USD $75.3 million specifically for the
    "Avancemos" cash transfer program to discourage child labor and to
    promote staying in school (see para 14 below).  OATIA employs nine
    child labor specialists.  OIT-IPEC reported that in 2007 the
    government had 89 officials dedicated to investigating commercial
    sexual exploitation: 39 Justice Department officials and 50 police
    officers.  OATIA carries out diagnostic research on different
    sectors and/or regions.  The MTSS website includes a link to OATIA
    with information about child labor and a link to file a complaint.

    ¶10. GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATIONS: OATIA noted that while child labor
    laws are adequate, lack of human resources impeded better
    enforcement coverage.  The Ministry of Labor investigates cases
    immediately and has 10 days to resolve a case.  At the end of 2007,
    OATIA implemented an electronic data base to track cases and to
    compile statistics in the San Jose area; the agency intended to
    expand the use of the database to other offices, but has not yet
    been able to do so due to technical issues.  There are currently 90
    labor inspectors; though none are dedicated solely to child labor
    investigations, all 90 have received child-labor-awareness training.

    ¶11. INVESTIGATION STATISTICS: 2008 child labor investigation
    statistics will be available from MTSS' National Labor Inspectorate
    in February, and Post will forward septel when/if received.  Post's
    last report (Ref B) contained investigation statistics from 2006.
    In 2007, inspectors conducted 97 investigations of labor cases
    involving minors.  Sixty-three percent of these were conducted in
    the central region of the country (San Jose, Heredia and Cartago
    provinces).  Of the 97 cases, 43 percent involved children working
    in commerce, 20 percent in the service sector, 14 percent in the
    industrial sector, 10 percent in agriculture, 9 percent in
    construction, and 3 percent in transportation.  Sixty-four percent
    of the investigations were related to male workers, and 33 percent
    to females.  Of the 67 cases resolved in 2007, OATIA reported that 3
    cases (4 percent) involved "child labor;" 60 cases (90 percent)
    involved illegal dismissals; the remaining 4 cases (6 percent)
    involved workers rights and firing procedures.

    ¶12. COMPLAINTS RECEIVED: During 2008, OATIA received 450 complaints.
     Fifty-seven of those complaints involved children under 15 years of
    age.  In comparison, during the first six months of 2007 (the only
    data thus far available for that year, see Post's 2007 Child Labor
    Report, Ref B), OATIA received 401 complaints from children and
    adolescents, with 60 under 15 years old.  Given that the number of
    total complaints for 2008 was only 12 percent more the number of
    complaints filed within the first six months of 2007, it appears
    that the number of overall complaints dropped in 2008.  Post will
    forward complete 2007 statistics on number of complaints septel,
    if/when received.

    ¶13. TRAINING ON WORST FORMS: From April to November 2008, the
    government trained or sensitized 547 police officers, immigration
    officials, immigration police officers, OIJ officers, and national
    health system workers about trafficking in persons.  Additionally,
    UNICEF trained 50 community
    police officers and police academy instructors following a "train
    the trainer" approach.  For a complete update on the GOCR's
    anti-trafficking efforts since the 2008 TIP Report, see Ref C.
    Please see also Post's response to DOL's request for information
    regarding child and forced labor in the production of goods (Ref
    D).

    -----------------------------
    ¶C. SOCIAL PREVENTION PROGRAMS
    -----------------------------

    ¶14. "AVANCEMOS" ("LET'S GET AHEAD"):  This conditional cash transfer
    (CCT) program continues as the linchpin of the GOCR's anti-desertion
    and anti-child labor efforts and was explained in more detail in Ref
    ¶B.  The program provides a progressive subsidy to encourage
    extremely poor students to remain in school (vice dropping out to
    work) or to return to school, thus helping to reduce the number of
    children and adolescents who enter the workforce every year.
    "Avancemos" explicitly addresses child labor as one of its main
    objectives, together with poverty reduction and strengthening
    education.  Through 2008, two government agencies - The National
    Fund for Scholarships (FONABE) and the Institute of Social
    Assistance (IMAS) - were in charge of implementing the program under
    an interagency team headed by MIVAH.  Due to problems with
    interagency coordination and duplication as well as an unrelated
    corruption scandal involving the previous Minister of Housing
    (MIVAH), IMAS assumed sole responsibility for managing Avancemos as
    of January 2009.

    ¶15. AVANCEMOS BENEFICIARIES: As of October 21, 2008, Avancemos had
    130,586 beneficiaries enrolled in the program - an increase of
    almost 36,000 students over 2007, due to the program's popularity
    since beginning as a pilot project in 2006 (Ref B).   Participants
    were split relatively equally by gender with 69,800 females and
    60,786 males.  The total included: 35,070 students age 14 and under;
    63,301 students ages 15-17; 24,285 students ages 18-20; and 7,930
    students age 21 and over.  Thus, 75.4 percent of subsidies reached
    youth age 17 and under.  Approximately 42 percent of the
    beneficiaries were considered rural and 58 percent urban.  Projected
    funding for the program for 2008, according a November 2007 MIVAH
    report, was USD $75.3 million (approximately 39.2 billion CR
    colones); the high level of funding was due to the fact that this
    project was a cornerstone of President Arias' social initiatives.
    According to a media reports, for 2009 the government budgeted 55.2
    billion CR colones (approximately USD $100.4 million at USD $1:550
    colones) to serve 150,000 students.

    ¶16. OATIA PROGRAMS: In 2008, OATIA continued seven projects (Ref B)
    geared toward improving life and work conditions of indigenous and
    migrant groups, eradicating child labor, and protecting at-risk
    children and adolescents.  OATIA expanded a vocational training
    program for teenagers who had worked previously in dangerous jobs in
    the Caribbean and northern regions.  The seven programs and their
    beneficiaries for 2008 were:

    a) "Defense and Human Rights Promotion to Improve Living and Working
    Conditions for Indigenous Ngobe, Nicaraguan and Local Migrant
    Families in Coffee Harvest Seasons";  Location: Zona de los Santos;
    Persons served: approximately 11,000, including children and
    adolescents;  Agencies involved: OATIA, National Commission for
    Indigenous Affairs (CONAI), and other government institutions.

    b) "Action Project to Sensitize, Train, and Mobilize the
    Municipalities of Canas, Santa Cruz, and Carrillo regarding
    Eradication of Child Labor and Protection of the Adolescent Worker";
     Location: Guanacaste province;  Persons served: directly benefitted
    children, adolescents, their parents and municipal officials in
    those areas, but no number of beneficiaries provided;  Agencies
    involved: OATIA and Vision Mundial.

    c) "Primero Aprendo": see para 18.

    d) "Project for the Detection, Protection and Reduction of Minor
    Workers Identified by Local Government Censuses, according to
    Article 96 of the CNA";  Locations: 11 municipalities, including
    Desamparados, Curridabat, Escazu, Heredia, Belen, Alajuela, Moravia,
    Liberia, Carrillo, Canas, Santa Cruz;  Persons served: children and
    adolescents;  Agency involved: OATIA.

    e) "Improving Living Conditions for Child and Adolescent Workers and
    their Families in the Atlantic Huetar Region"; Location: Limon;
    Persons served: 100 rural child and adolescent workers;  Agencies
    involved:  OATIA, MEP, PANI, Social Security Agency (for worker
    insurance and national health, Caja Costarricense de Seguridad
    Social, CCSS), and MTSS' DNI (inspectors).

    f) "Human Development Promotion, Child Labor Eradication, and
    Protection for the Adolescent Worker in the Rural Communities of
    Mora and Puriscal for Sugar Cane Production Free from Child Labor,
    among the Association of Organic Cane Producers";  Location: Mora
    and Puriscal;  Persons served: children, adolescents and their
    parents, for a total of 12,807 people;  Agencies involved: OATIA,
    Ministry of Agriculture and ASOPRODULCE sugar cane producers
    association.

    g) "Integrated Vocational, Educational and Human Development
    Training for Rural Adolescent Workers to Eliminate Dangerous
    Adolescent Labor in the North Huetar Region"; this program provided
    basic education along with vocational training in agriculture,
    tourism and other fields;  Location: San Carlos, Los Chiles and
    Upala;  Persons served: 70 adolescents between 14-17 years old who
    had worked in dangerous jobs, were not in school, and came from
    low-income families - for a total of 350 served including their
    families;  Agencies involved:  OATIA, ILO/OIT, the National
    Institute of Learning (INA), FUNDECOCA, PANI, CCSS, and others.

    ¶17. MINISTRY OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS: The Ministry of Education (MEP)
    operates programs that allow adolescents to harmonize work and
    study.  "Aula Abierta" (Open Classroom) is directed toward 6,121
    students who did not finish primary school.  "Nuevas Oportunidades
    para Jsvenes" (New Opportunities for Youth) is a secondary-level
    program that provides tutoring two times a week to 14,648 students
    in 2008.  Finally, a GED program allows students to complete their
    high school education.  Funding levels for 2008 had been requested
    but were not available from MEP as of this writing.  Post will
    forward if/when those figures are received.

    ¶18. "PRIMERO APRENDO" (FIRST, I LEARN): Under the auspices of the
    International Child Labor Program/Education Initiative from
    DOL/ILAB, in association with Care-USA and implemented locally by
    Caritas, this regional program established several projects to
    protect at-risk children from exploitive work.  This program
    officially concluded in August 2008, but Costa Rica was granted an
    extension until March 31, 2009, with no additional funding.
    "Primero Aprendo" served 526 children in Costa Rica with a four-year
    budget of USD $576,198.  Of that amount, 2008 funding for Costa Rica
    was USD $177,020, serving 175 children, according to OATIA.

    ¶19. WORKING WITH UNIONS: The Central Movement of Costa Rican Workers
    (CMTC) continued its program, entitled "SOLETICO" to educate against
    child labor.  "Horizonte Cero", a documentary produced in 2006, is
    still shown as a tool to discourage child labor (Ref B).

    --------------------------------------------- ---
    ¶D. COMPREHENSIVE POLICY TO ELIMINATE CHILD LABOR
    --------------------------------------------- ---

    ¶20. "NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION" REMAINS IN EFFECT: In 2005, the GOCR
    initiated the Second National Plan of Action for the Prevention and
    Eradication of Child Labor and Special Protection for Adolescent
    workers (SNPA).  This plan called for the elimination of child labor
    by 2010 and specific financing targets which required relevant
    government ministries and agencies to earmark sufficient funds in
    their annual budget requests.  The Arias administration (which
    entered office in May 2006 and will serve until May 2010) updated
    the SNPA to incorporate new policies and priorities, especially in
    Chapter 4 which deals with the program's goals, objectives, and
    responsibilities.  The revised SNPA was published in January 2009.
    This update has allowed the GOCR to proceed with a full-scale
    educational subsidy program to address some of the major causes of
    child labor (the "Avancemos" project, see para 14 above).

    ¶21. CHILD LABOR AS PART OF POVERTY REDUCTION: The Arias
    administration incorporated Avancemos as one of the main priorities
    of its "National Plan for Development" under strategies for the
    "Fight against Poverty."  The government thereby identified child
    labor  as a specific issue to be addressed in poverty reduction
    efforts.

    ¶22. EDUCATION POLICY: By law, education is free and compulsory until
    the 11th year (which is the 5th year of bachillerato or high
    school).  The EDNA report referred to in para 2 above, however,
    noted a marked difference in the quality of purely private and
    charter-type schools (private schools that receive government funds
    for teacher salaries and administrative personnel) over purely
    public schools.  The report also called for strengthening rural
    school systems.

    -----------
    ¶E. PROGRESS
    -----------

    ¶23. INEC 2002 STUDY: The National Institute of Statistics (INEC)
    2002 Survey on Child and Adolescent Labor remains the current,
    official, and most comprehensive source of child labor statistics
    (Ref B).  It stated that 113,523 children between the ages of 5-17
    worked at that time nation-wide (representing 10.2 percent out of a
    population of 1,113,987 children and adolescents).  Of this working
    child population, 72.7 percent were boys (82,512) and girls (31,011)
    5-17 years old.  A total of 54,259 boys and girls were employed on a
    regular basis, meaning full time job year round.  Although OATIA has
    pushed for a new survey, INEC is not planning another, ostensibly
    due to lack of funding.  (The ILO funded the 2002 study).

    ¶24. NEWER FINDINGS: However, the 2008 INEC Household Survey included
    a few, limited questions about child labor (see 2008 "Encuesta de
    Hogares de Propssitos Mltiples" via email).  Additionally, the
    UNICEF-UCR "EDNA" Report refers to statistics through 2006 drawn
    from:  the "Monitoring System for the State of Youth in Costa Rica,
    1990-2006" based on annual INEC Household Surveys, and the "First
    National Youth Survey of 2007."  (See EDNA report, Chapter 5, via
    email.)

    ¶25. INEC 2008 HOUSEHOLD SURVEY: According to Chart 3, page 33-34 of
    the 2008 INEC Household Survey, out of a total population of
    3,631,597 inhabitants (based on 2000 Census figures, adjusted),
    538,939 were youth ages 12-17.  Out of that youth population, 57,204
    were considered part of the active labor force, with 47,094
    currently employed (less than nine percent of youth ages 12-17 were
    working).  Note that because the base population figures differ from
    the INEC 2002 study, and the 2002 study also included statistics for
    children ages 5-11, one should use caution when comparing the
    results from these two sources.

    ¶26. EDNA SHOWS PROGRESS: The UNICEF-UCR Sixth Report on the State of
    the Rights of Children and Adolescents in Costa Rica (EDNA)
    undertook to measure progress in the fight against child labor 10
    years after the 1998 implementation of the CNA,  using statistics
    through 2006.  Chapter Five is dedicated to "Education and Work."
    The report cites principal causes of child labor in the country as:
    poverty, difficulty in providing education and retaining students,
    and a cultural pattern that views work as a source of values and as
    preparation for life.  According to EDNA, the labor market shows net
    declines across the board for child and adolescent labor, ages 12-17
    - for males and females, and rural and urban youth - since
    implementation of the CNA.  (See EDNA for charts and figures, via
    email.)

    ¶27. ANALYSIS OF WORKING YOUTH AGES 15-17: EDNA utilized statistics
    from the 2007 "First National Youth Survey" to establish an updated
    profile of workers ages 15-17, adolescents above the legal minimum
    age to work.  According to this source, 18 percent of youth ages
    15-17 worked based on a population of 274,743 in that age group. The
    total number of workers ages 15-17 was 49,352 - broken out between
    36,837 males and 12,525 females; 27,742 rural and 21,610 urban.  The
    profile includes analysis by both occupational group and by type of
    activity.

    ¶28. AGES 15-17 BY OCCUPATION: According to figures reported in EDNA
    from the 2007 First National Youth Survey, by occupational group,
    29.1 percent worked in the category of direct services to other
    people; 23.4 percent in miscellaneous jobs including gardeners,
    janitors, domestic employees, transport dispatchers, car washers,
    etc.; 12.7 percent in agriculture and fisheries; 11 percent in
    artisan production, construction, mechanics and graphic arts - a
    group that includes handicrafts, carpentry, shoemaking, furniture
    and upholstering, bricklaying and electrical work, etc.; 9 percent
    were machinery operators or equipment maintenance workers; 6.4
    percent worked in administrative support positions; 6 percent in
    general professional or technical jobs; 1.1 percent in professional,
    scientific or intellectual work; and 1.1 percent did not respond or
    did not know.

    ¶29. AGES 15-17 BY ACTIVITY: When analyzed by type of activity, 21.5
    percent worked in miscellaneous activities (not well defined or not
    in another classification, usually in family businesses or cases
    where the work was not performed in a specified place); 20.7 percent
    in "real estate, private business, and rental" which included such
    activities as working in real estate offices, for attorneys, or in
    print shops; 15.9 percent in hotels and restaurants; 12.5 percent in
    a category called "commerce, vehicle repair and appliance repair";
    9.8 percent in the ILO-standardized category called "agriculture,
    fisheries and hunting" which included cultivation of flowers and
    houseplants, working on farms, and in dairies and fisheries; 6.1
    percent worked in industrial manufacturing; 3.8 percent worked in
    construction; 2.3 percent in transportation, warehousing and
    communications; and 7.6 percent did not respond or did not know.

    ¶30. REMUNERATION FOR YOUTH 15-17: According to the same source, 76.3
    percent of working youth ages 15-17 earned wages; 16.9 percent
    worked for themselves; and only 4.1 percent worked for a relative
    without remuneration; 1.5 percent were paid in-kind; and 1.1 percent
    stated that they owned their own business.  While ENDA reports that
    the minimum monthly wage for these youth should be 125,000 CR
    colones per month (approximately USD $227 per month at USD $1:550 CR
    colones), 60.2 percent earned less than 100,000 CR colones per
    month; 19.1 percent earned between 100,000 and 150,000 CR colones
    per month; 14 percent earned from 151,000 to 200,000 CR colones per
    month; 3 percent earned from 201,000 to 250,000 CR colones per
    month; 2.6 earned 251,000 CR colones and up; and 1.3 percent did not
    respond or did not know.

    ¶31. HOURS WORKED FOR YOUTH 15-17: As for hours worked per week, 31.4
    percent worked less than 20; 18.1 percent worked 20-35; 15.1 percent
    worked 36-46 (which would be a violation of the CNA, which limits
    weekly hours to 36); 17.7 percent worked 48 hours per week; 6
    percent worked 50-60; 6.1 percent worked more than 60 hours; and 5.7
    percent did not respond or did not know.

    ¶32. WORK VS. SCHOOL FOR YOUTH 15-17: Still from the same source
    (EDNA), 24.2 percent of those not in school did not study because
    they had no interest in school; 13.7 percent of youth ages 15-17 did
    not study because they had to work; 13.2 percent had trouble
    "accessing the educational system" (though not explicitly explained
    in EDNA, this was probably due to distance, lack of transportation
    or rural schools, school overcrowding or similar issues); 7.5
    percent could not pay costs associated with studying; 7.3 percent
    said school was difficult; 7.1 percent lived with a spouse or
    partner; 4.7 percent preferred to work rather than study; 4.6
    percent dropped out due to pregnancy; 4.4 percent had finished their
    studies; and 1.9 percent were ill or incapacitated.  One percent
    could not study due to having to help with housework. The percentage
    that did not study for other reasons was 8.3 percent, and 1.9
    percent did not respond or did not know.

    -------
    COMMENT
    -------

    ¶33. The government is committed to the topic of child labor and is
    taking steps to end it.  The picture of child labor is not/not bleak
    in Costa Rica, especially as compared to other countries.  Recent
    figures show that less than nine percent of youth ages 12-17 work,
    and of that figure, those 15-17 can work legally.  However, when
    analyzing factors such as remuneration, hours worked per week, and
    the fact that almost 15 percent of those ages 15-17 have to work
    instead of study (including the one percent who had to help with
    housework), there is still room for improvement.  Costa Rica should
    focus additional efforts on ensuring that labor codes are followed
    to protect adolescents ages 15-17 who are working legally but are
    being exploited in terms of low wages and long hours.

    ¶34. On a related note, we recently visited a coffee plantation in
    the Poas area outside of San Jose and observed first-hand the "child
    labor" on coffee farms.  While more serious problems may indeed
    exist, the eight-year-old boy we interviewed was spending his time
    running through the rows and around the plants, empty sack in hand,
    laughing and playing with his brother - hardly the type of hard,
    grueling, physical labor one imagines during the coffee harvest.
    Officials from the INCAE Business School's Center for Sustainable
    Market Research told us that most child labor on coffee farms in
    Costa Rica involves children who seek to earn money for their school
    supplies during their summer vacation (harvest season) by collecting
    coffee cherries dropped by other pickers.  According to the same
    officials, when migrant children work on farms with their parents,
    they often perform the same tasks of picking up after other
    harvesters, instead of the much harder work of picking coffee from
    the plants.

    CIANCHETTE

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