of Defense program that raised awareness about the issue of child soldiers in South Sudan, the government's Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) continues to recruit child soldiers and station them in conflict-ridden areas or use them as bodyguards. The government deployed child soldiers on the front lines in opposition attacks from the Sudan People's Liberation Army – In Opposition (SPLA-IO). The SPLA-IO also recruits child soldiers to fight for them in areas like Bentiu and other parts of Unity state. Even though the minimum age for voluntary military recruitment is 18, as determined by the Child Act, many child soldiers are much younger. According to the United States Department of Labor, despite the Constitution and Child Act's provisions of free primary education, parents usually end up having to pay the salaries of their children's teachers, which is often a prohibitive cost for families. The cost of uniforms, high levels of food insecurity, high costs of living, and lack of access to schools due to poor infrastructure all contribute to the low levels of primary education completion in South Sudan. Only 32 percent of children ages 5 to 14 attend school, and the primary education completion rate is 37 percent. 46 percent of children ages 10 to 14 are working, and 11 percent combine work and school. Under current laws, children are only required to attend school until age 13. However, children are not legally allowed to work until they are 14, which leaves them the most vulnerable to child labor violations during the ages of 13 and 14. Law agencies in South Sudan have taken steps to combat child labor in creating government committees to establish referral mechanisms to report and address violations, but these agencies have been largely inactive. Child marriage Nearly half of girls ages 15 to 19 are married, with some girls forced into marriage as early as age 12. Because of child marriage, only 37 percent of girls attend primary school, while 51 percent of boys do. Despite a 2008 law that protects girls from early marriage, child marriage is still extremely prevalent. This is due to widespread cultural views that marrying early is in the best interest of girls, since it allows families to access resources that are traditionally paid in the dowry. Ethnic minority rights South Sudan is an ethnically diverse country, with over 60 different major ethnic groups. The largest ethnic groups are