According to the current child-protection legislation, a person is even prohibited from patting a child. Since most teachers are unaware of this provision, serious acts of child abuse are taking place in government, as well as international schools today, Stop Child Cruelty Chairperson Thush Wickremenayake said. Although stringent child-protection laws are in existence today, their non-introduction to schools has caused a major issue.
Therefore, formulation of a school-level child protection policy has become an urgent need, she said. Wickremenayake, who said the future of a country or nation depended on its child generation, said development of moral and social values within schools were more important than making children enslaved to technology.
Wickremenayake was addressing a press conference held at the Wellawatte Womens’ Research Institute, recently, explaining the factors which led her to found the Stop Child Cruelty organisation. Wickremenayake said her daughter attended a private school in Negombo. When her daughter was subjected to an alleged case of cruelty in that school, she lodged complaints with every possible institution regarding it. Finally, National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) representatives visited the school for an investigation. Pressure was exerted from a higher echelon, asking them to halt the investigation, but the authority continued.
When such influence is exerted, a further injustice is caused to the affected party. When she had complained to the President about it, he had asked her to lodge a complaint with the Human Rights Commission.
It was like falling from the frying pan and into the fire, because a certain female officer had allegedly taken the entire file home.
Wickremenayake alleged that since that officer was a relative of a child of the same school, she had allegedly informed the school authorities about the complaint and this had posed a threat to the identity of her daughter.
This motivated her to launch an organisation to protect children's rights, named Stop Child Cruelty.
Anyone requiring assistance could contact them on mobile: 0779497265 or email: www.stopchildcruelty.com
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