Universal Children's Day commemorated

Accra, Nov. 19, GNA - Ms Anna Bossman, Deputy Commissioner of Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) on Friday condemned acts of parental irresponsibility, referring to it as a shameful act that affected national progress and development. She said parental irresponsibility and neglect had become a major contributory factor to "streetism" in Ghana and reminded parents and guardians that it was a criminal offence to neglect or maltreat a child for whatever reason.

Ms Bossman made the condemnation at a programme organised by CHRAJ in collaboration with Ghana Human Rights' NGOs forum in Accra to commemorate the 2010 Universal Children's Day, which falls on Saturday, November 20. The day is marked on November 20 each year to commemorate the United Nations General Assembly's adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, which has been ratified by 192 countries including Ghana. It is being celebrated in Ghana on Friday because it would fall on a week end.

Ms Bossman said Universal Children's Day was proclaimed by the United Nations in 1954, therefore, on the adoption of the Rights of the Child it was important to commemorate the day to remind governments, policy makers as well as the society of the specific rights of all children spelt out in the Children's Act to help to promote and safeguard their wellbeing and development. She noted that the universal commemoration was in addition, to promote mutual exchange and understanding among children and initiate action to promote the welfare of children. Ms Bossman reminded parents that children were individual members of the family and therefore must be accorded equal status as adults in respect to their rights to food, shelter, health, education and dignity. She stressed that it was important parents recognised their children and involved them in decisions that affected their well-being, adding that though Ghana was the first nation to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child, its full implementation and enforcement had become a major challenge.

"Ghana still has a long way to go as far as child rights protection and promotion is concerned," she added. Ms Bossman cited current high record of child neglects as a result of broken homes or divorce. She said there had been instances where some fathers in trying to punish their wives, use the children as their shields and refused to remit them or pay their school fees. Ms Bossman reminded parents, guardians, government and society to take up their roles of guarding and promoting children's rights to ensure proper development.

There were presentations from representatives of some basic, junior and senior high schools in the Greater Accra Region on children's rights to issues such as quality health care, safe environment, quality education, food, shelter and security. They called on government to include deprived schools in poor communities in the Region in the School Feeding Programme and the Free School Uniform Programme.

They urged government to give meaning to the Free Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme by providing funding for all practical subjects at the Junior High School (JHS) level including Technical Drawing and other Vocational subjects.

The children called for the abolition of the payment of registration fees for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to reduce tension and enhance quality examination outcomes. They contended that these measures would not only promote high school enrolment rate, but ensured high attendance, retention and performance of pupils.

However, they appealed to government not to use the various intervention programmes such as the School Feeding Programme for politics, but ensured proper supervision and early release of funds to ensure their sustenance. 19 Nov. 10