Observe child rights and safety week from Nov 14 to 20, schools told

Observe child rights and safety week from Nov 14 to 20, schools told

Ankita Bhatkhande | ankita.bhatkhande@htlive.com |09/11/2019

Mumbai : The state education department has asked schools to observe November 14 to 20 as child rights and safety week

to mark the 30-year anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

As part of the initiative, schools have to conduct a range of activities to generate awareness about the rights of children and

to protect these rights. “School authorities should take rounds in the neighbourhood to understand if there are any threats to

the safety of schoolchildren — from potholes on the roads, dangerous materials lying around, etc. Similarly, they should

meet the parents of students who are irregular in order to understand the underlying reasons behind their absence. Schools

should then ensure that any hurdles, be removed,” states the circular issued on Friday.

Schools have also been asked to train students and parents about healthy and safe living practices with things like nutritious eating, good health and continuous education being emphasised on time to time. The programme has been organised by the state police, school education department, state department of women and child welfare, Childline and UNICEF.

Teachers said that the initiative will be a welcome step if implemented well. “There are already some existing initiatives to ensure the safety of children including the setting up of POCSO boxes for students to be able to report incidents of sexual harassment openly. However, in many places, these initiatives are only on paper and see no implementation. This should not happen with the said initiative,” said the principal of a suburban school.

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