When is child labor a good idea?

Pictures of cotton-picking children in Xinjiang have caused a bit of a stir and The Opposite End of China dives right into the debate. After a decent summery of the upheaval, our teacher Michael Manning, living in Xinjiang, hits out:

Now, I'm no great advocate of exploiting children for labor, but does anyone else out there agree with me that the critics are going a bit far on this issue? At the school I used to teach for in Korla, the older kids spend about two weeks every autumn picking cotton on one of the local collective farms. Sure, the kids gripe and the work is hard, but I see a lot of benefit in giving these children ― who are lucky enough to be growing up in modern China rather than, say, China forty years ago ― a taste of the backbreaking labor that most Chinese engage in on a daily basis. I think it's a great idea to force children to pitch in for the "greater good".

A blanket ban on child labor, without looking into the specifics of each situation, can have very reverse effect. Unfortunately, it is not a discussion where there is a lot of room for subtleties, like I found out when I interviewed working children in Indonesia in the past who defended their right to work. But very good to hear some contrary voices.