GCSE Business - Ethics, International Trade, Morals

This image is of forced child labour in Uzbekistan to pick cotton and can be used to start an interesting topic discussion/debate around child labour and other ethical issues.
It is designed to encourage less teacher talk and more student discussion.
After discussing the surface image, deeper connotations should be discussed with the group – how do you think this child feels? Why don’t all children access the same right to education?
The Government set harvest quotas on farmers to fulfill international supply demands and older children and civil workers are also forced to work in cotton farms during the harvest period.
Are their any positive elements to this situation? Supporting family to be able to eat etc? What would happen to these children if they were not forced into work? What about businesses and consumers of cotton?
Whole group activity – Stand on the left side of the room if you disagree with child labour, the right if you agree and in the middle if you are unsure. Use a questioning activity to find out the different opinions, then get the students to swap locations. Ask them to argue from an alternative perspective.