| School-leaving age |
 |
92. The Education Act (No. 66-97) was promulgated on 15
April 1997 and guarantees the right to education for all
inhabitants of the country. Under the Act, the education
system comprises four levels: pre-school, primary, secondary
and higher. The pre-school level is intended for children up
to the age of six, the last grade at this level beginning at
age five. In State schools education is free. In addition, the
State will endeavour to promote and expand community
initiatives and set up nursery schools for the various grades of pre-school education. Primary education is of eight years' duration,
begins at the age of six, and is compulsory and free of
charge. Secondary education is of four years' duration and
is divided into three streams - the general, technical and arts
streams - which enable students to proceed to employment and/or higher studies. |
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| Minimum age of employment |
|
33. The employment situation of children and
adolescents is regulated by the Labour Code, which assigns to
the Secretary of State for Labour (SET) the authority to deal
with exceptional cases in which work before the age of 16 is
justified by need for training or precocious talent.
44. […] the minimum age of employment is 14,
although in our country a considerable number of children aged
between 7 and 14 perform some kind of work.
114.
Our labour legislation prohibits the employment of children
under the age of 14. A decision (9-93) of 1993
by the Secretary of State for Labour (SET)
prohibits juveniles under the age of 16 from being employed on
night work (from 6 p.m. to 6
a.m.).
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| Minimum age for marriage |
|
34. All young persons who have reached the age of 18 may marry
without the consent of their parents or guardians. Provided they have such
consent, young women may marry from the age of 15
and young men from the age of
16. |
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| Minimum age for criminal responsibility |
|
36. Boys and girls under the
age of 12 cannot incur criminal responsibility.
[…] |
|