…agricultural labour force in this way will fall behind academically.

Uznews.net – Schoolchildren in Jizak Region who have been weeding cotton fields since April have been allowed to return to their schools to attend graduation ceremonies. Most of the pupils, who have been working in the fields since April, have now gone back to school, with only a few volunteers staying behind to earn extra money, a local resident confirmed.

Children are paid 500 sums ($0.20) for manually weeding one 300-metre-long bed. Generally, a maximum of three beds can be weeded in one day.

The government pays farmers up to 30,000 sums ($12) for weeding one hectare of cotton. Public sector workers are obliged to donate between 5,000 and 8,000 sums per month from their pay for the weeding campaign.

Jizak Region is not alone in employing child labour. One human rights campaigner based in Tashkent said she had seen children as young as 13 weed cotton fields in Hojeyli District in Karakalpakstan.

As children throughout Uzbekistan graduate from school today, many campaigners remain concerned that children employed as a cheap agricultural labour force in this way will fall behind academically.

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