According to the new plans, Chairperson of NCPA Dr. Natasha Balendra said the main focus will be on school environment and to strengthen School Child Protection Committees. Currently about 2133 School child Protection Committees have been set up in schools. These committees will be strengthened, she said by:-
- holding monthly full day training workshops at divisional levels
- giving special training to the counsellor teachers of of some areas as a pilot project in collaboration with the Education Ministry
- conducting an all island inter-school debating competition on various child protection topics
- co-ordinating school media units to spread the child protection message across the school.
Very importantly, the NCPA is in conversation with the Education Ministry to introduce sex and relationship education and life skills into the curriculum. For this purpose the teachers will have to be trained, the Chairperson said.
With regard to strengthening of the family and re thinking the role of the father in a family, NCPA expects to make changes to legislation to introduce the "paternity leave" while holding special awareness raising and skills development programs. And also steps would be taken to draft the legislation for the regulation and monitoring of daycare centers, the Chairperson added.
In addition to the prevention side, the NCPA will take steps to protect those children who have been subject to abuse. "It is our belief that children who have been subject to abuse should be accorded a special priority status so that the secondary victimization that they suffer at the hands of service providers, schools, and the community is minimized and the NCPA plans to push for an official government policy to be adopted in this regard", Ms.Balendra further emphasised.
And also the Minister of Justice has pledged to provide a separate day for hearing the women and children's cases.
"Confidentiality is a cornerstone of the child protection and accordingly NCPA paying special attention on Media requests requested the media personnel to make sure that in cases involving children not to reveal the identity and details of the child and abuse." she appealed to the media.
The Chirperson further said, "We are also hoping that media will start writing more and more holistic pieces on children, child development, the causes of abuse etc that will help us better understand abuse and move towards a society in which children are more secure"
