Minimum ages The goal of compulsory free education through to secondary school level requires attention being accorded to other rights. In particular, children forced by economic circumstances or cultural or religious influences into early work or marriage will not be able to enjoy fully their right to education. Thus, States must ensure that all barriers to students enjoying their right to education are identified and addressed, including setting minimum ages for employment, marriage and criminal responsibility. Minimum age of employment The ILO Minimum Age Convention requires States to pursue a national policy designed to ensure the effective abolition of child labour and to raise progressively the minimum age for admission to employment or work to a level consistent with the fullest physical and mental development of young persons. Thus, States should establish a minimum age for admission to employment which allows students to complete their primary, secondary, technical or vocational education. The ILO recommends that the minimum employment age should be the greater of the age for the completion of compulsory schooling or 15 years old.95 Notwithstanding, a State whose economy and educational facilities are insufficiently developed may initially specify a minimum age of 14 years.96 The ILO Minimum Age Convention provides that national laws or regulations may permit the employment or work of persons 13 to 15 years of age on light work or the employment or work of persons who are at least 15 years of age but have not yet completed their compulsory schooling if the work: 95 Article 2(3) of the ILO Minimum Age Convention. However, article 3(1) provides that the minimum age for admission to any type of employment or work which by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out is likely to jeopardise the health, safety or morals of young persons shall not be less than 18 years. Further, article 6 states that the Convention does not apply to work done by children and young persons in schools for general, vocational or technical education or in other training institutions, or to work done by persons at least 14 years of age in undertakings where such work is an integral part of – (a) a course of education or training for which a school or training institution is primarily responsible; (b) a programme of training mainly or entirely in an undertaking, which programme has been approved by the competent authority; or (c) a programme of guidance or orientation designed to facilitate the choice of an occupation or of a line of training. 96 Article 2(4) of the ILO Minimum Age Convention. Such a State is required to include in its reports to the Constitution of the ILO a statement (a) that its reason for doing so subsists; or (b) that it renounces its right to avail itself of the provisions in question as from a stated date. 60