Human beings are supposed to be smarter
and wiser than animals, because they are created in the image and likeness of
God. But when the reverse appears to be true, it becomes worrisome and defeats
the purpose of creation.
For instance, if animals take care of
their young ones or offspring, why would humans created in the image and
likeness of God, neglect or refuse to take care of their children?
It is unfortunate, but that is the current
situation in the Savelugu-Nanton Municipality in the Northern Region of Ghana,
where a research by local charity organisation Savana Signatures (SavSign)
–reveals that biological parents are the main perpetrators of child right
abuses and violations.
Other lead perpetrators of child rights
abuse and violations, according to the report of the research made available to
Savannahnews,
included teachers, stepmothers and aunties of children.
Forms of child abuses cited by the report
included denying children formal education, forcing children to marry early or
against their will, teachers impregnating female pupils, subjecting children to
corporal punishment, child neglect and child trafficking among others. “These
constituted the most dangerous and damaging forms of child abuses”, Eric
Kavaarpuo, lead researcher said this recently when he presented the research
report at a validation workshop in Savelugu.
SavSign initiated the Integration of ICTs
in Education Project I (IIEP I) in 2011 with the aim of enhancing school
administration and teaching and learning in basic schools. This entailed
building the capacity of school administrators and teachers to effectively use
ICTs to improve the quality of learning outcomes.
In a second phase of the project, IIEP II –a new
objective was introduced with the focus of empowering basic school children
within the Savelugu-Nanton Municipality to assert their
right to basic services and enjoy protection from all forms of abuse.
This child rights survey commissioned by
SavSign aimed to collect information on the state of child rights in the
Savelugu-Nanton Municipality as basis for designing appropriate interventions.
The survey targeted Upper Primary School and Junior High School children aged
between 10-15 years.
According to Mr. Kavaarpuo, the survey
sampled 366 children from a population of 3,731. “The sampling procedure entailed
a random sample of 36 children per school for one-on-one interviews whilst
another set of children participated in Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) of
separate boys and girls”, h explained.
Teachers and parents, he noted, were
targeted with semi-structured questionnaire and FGDs respectively. “Identified
state institutions including the National Commission for Civic Education
(NCCE), the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the
Ghana Police Service were also contacted with semi-structured questionnaire”,
he added.
Mr. Kavaarpuo however indicated that the
overall agenda of pursuing child rights issues and violations at the district
level must logically start with a stakeholder mapping. He urged traditional
authorities, the Municipal Assembly, the Ghana Education Service, Department of
Social Welfare, CHRAJ, NCCE and NGOs to lead the charge against child rights
abuse and violations.
Meanwhile,
participants at the workshop also appealed to government and NGOs to sensitise
parents, traditional authorities, teachers and children in basic and second
cycle schools on the basic rights of children.
They further
called for the formation of community vigilante groups to ensure children in
the municipality sleep early at night. This is because sleeping late at night
contributes a child abuse and poor performance in school.
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