Child laborers would rather work than go home

(ECNS) – Forty-one child laborers working at a factory in Shenzhen have been sent home, yet some of the teenagers were reluctant to go, according to the Chinese Radio Network.

Earlier reports said an electronics factory in the south China city was suspected of illegally employing teenage laborers. Most of them came from Liangshan in southwest China's Sichuan province, worked over 12 hours a day and earned only 2,000 yuan （US$330）per month.

On Jan 2, some of the teenagers were back in their hometown. The local government said they had contacted schools and would arrange for the kids to go back to school as soon as possible.

According to China's labor law, companies should not hire people under 16. But for the teenagers, dropping out of school and working were much better than staying at home and living in poverty.

Qiu Baochang, a lawyer at Beijing Huijia Law Firm, said the teenagers should be protected according to the compulsory education law and the youth protection act.

"Sending the teenage laborers home is just the first step," Qiu said. "Guaranteeing their rights to be educated and ensuring their quality of life requires further measures from the government."

The Chinese government launched a nutrition program for primary and middle school students in poverty-stricken areas in 2011, and free compulsory education has been implemented around the country.