The Employment of Women, Young Persons, and Children Act No. 47 of 1956 does not prevent children from engaging in non-harmful training activities to take part in performing arts and performing in school exhibitions, the Department of Labor said.
The Department said this in a statement issued over the reports published on social media sites regarding a musical band called Ashawari consisting of schoolgirls from Madrigiriya.
Labor Commissioner General Prabath Chandrakeerthi said the rumours that the Department has taken steps to ban this musical band are false.
The statement further said the Labor Department takes on the role of eradicating child labor under the Employment of Women, Young Persons, and Children Act but it does not interfere in banning musical bands or suppressing the artistic and performing skills of children.
