Alipurduar, Feb. 26: The young boy toiling in the roadside stall might soon have better take at life.

Forty parents of working children ? 27 fathers and 13 mothers ? today participated in the opening session of a two-day awareness workshop organised here by the Central Board of Workers? Education of the Union labour ministry.

The participants at the workshop, which was organised at Vivekananda College, represented one family each and were paid a sum of Rs 150 for attending it.

?This is the first time that we are holding an awareness session for parents as we think that they are the ones who should be told about the harmful effects physical labour has on young children,? said Sabyasachi Sarkar, education officer of the labour ministry.

At the workshop, the parents were told how every child had the right to education and should go to school till the age of 14.

?We pointed out that most parents sent their children to work jeopardising their future as adults. Child labour prevents education, causing malnutrition and other physical problems. Sometimes the children are also lured into criminal activities,? Sarkar said.

The responsibilities of parents, the laws banning child labour and the social welfare facilities available, were also explained at length to the participants.

The organisers claimed that most of the parents responded positively. ?Some of them have already declared that they would send their wards to Sishu Shiksha Kendras and primary schools,? Sarkar said.

Local MLA Nirmal Das and additional district magistrate of Alipurduar Gourishankar Chatterjee were also present at today?s session.