Child labor – theemployment of children in industry, often against their will – has been aproblem for many years. Over a hundred years ago, Charles Dickens shocked manyreaders when he described the conditions under which young children worked inBritish factories. The conditions Dickens described continue almost unchangedtoday in many parts of the world. The only difference is that today employmentof children is confined to small factories and family businesses. Girls suffer more from child laborpractices than boys. Many of them are forced to start work when they are onlyten years old. Although the work they are given to do is often slight, it isoften harmful to the health. Recently, children as young as six years werefound to be working in Asian factories, and the children were working fromeight to fourteen hours a day in overcrowded and unhealthy working conditions.Sometimes a whole family group is employed, and the payment going to a parentor elder relative, the children not only receive nothing or very little fortheir long hours of work, but also they are prevented from attending school.Therefore, when they become older they are unable to do any other kind of work. The solution to the problem of child laboris clearly better laws to protect young children, greater supervision ofindustry and heavier fines for those who break the laws. Only in this way canyoung boys and girls be allowed to enjoy the most valuable time of their lives– childhood. 31. Theconditions under which young children work __________.