Guayaquil, November 6 (teleSUR-RHC), -- During a meeting Wednesday with journalists in the coastal economic hub of Guayaquil, Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa stated that over 309,000 children had decided to stop working to attend school.

Correa reiterated his commitment to eliminate child labour in Ecuador, and sharply criticized the recent initiative of Guayaquil's mayor, Jaime Nabot, to inaugurate a statue representing a shoeshine boy in the city center.

The head of state called the statue a “shame”, saying “it is not part of the folklore, it is part of exploitation.”

During the inauguration, Nebot himself took a picture simulating the act of having his shoes shined by the boy depicted in the statue.

“While the oligarchy builds statues about our exploitation, we build schools so children can keep studying,” added Correa.

According to official estimates, the number of working children in Ecuador decreased from 17 to eight percent.