African Easter School for children opens in Winneba

Winneba (C/R), April 8, GNA- About 65 million women aged between 20 and 24 years are married or in union before the age of 18 in developing countries while 213 million children are engaged in some form of child labour in Africa.

Dr. Mali Nilsson, official of the Ghana Office of the United Nation International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), said this at the opening of the 2008 International Easter School for Children at Winneba on Monday.

Two hundred children from some African countries including Ghana, Chad, Sudan, Liberia, Togo, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Niger, Congo Brazzaville and Democratic Republic of Congo were attending the programme.

The School was under the theme: "ten years of Implementing child Act 560, issues and the way forward."

Children Rights International, a non-governmental organisation, organised the programme that was being sponsored by UNICEF and United Nation High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR).

Dr. Mali Nilsson said children should be detained only as a last resort but some one million children were in detention worldwide. Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister of Women and Children's Affairs, said government was putting up more school infrastructure due to increased enrolment as a result of the introduction of the Capitation Grant and School Feeding Programme.

She said because government believed that the proper upbringing of the child must start from early childhood, it initiated policies towards the promotion of the welfare of children.

Hajia Mahama said 87 Early Childhood Care and Development Committees had been formed in addition to the existing 37 ones to ensure the development of children.

Hajia Mahama said since 2006, over 100 child Protection Teams have also been established by the Department of Children of the Ministry in some endemic communities with high incidence of abuse and violence against children.

Mrs. Estelle M. Appiah, Director, Legislative Drafting Division of Ministry of Justice said children whether in conflict with the law or not should as much as possible be kept out of the criminal justice system.

She said, although the Act says each Assemble is to establish the number of Child Panels, this has not been done. The chairman of the board of director of the Child Rights International, Prof. Jophus Anamuah-Mensah said the Net Enrolment Ratio of the children in primary school is 69 percent, indicating that about 30 percent are not in school.

He said most girls are unable to enter Senior High Schools and got pregnant as a result of poverty.

Professor Anamuah-Mensah suggested the provision of credit facilities and other supports to parents of needy children to help address the problems of the children and their families. Mr. Bright Appiah, Executive Director of Child's Rights International, outlining the programmes for the school said the children after several presentations would discuss the ACT 560 and make their recommendations to government. 07 April 08