Monday, 15 th June 2009.
It is time to break the silence and speak out against violence in schools:
- Corporal punishments,
- Sexual abuse,
- Verbal and psychological ill treatments,
- Harassments, Hullying, neglect, carelessness, fear etc...
So that we have schools without violence where it is safe to learn and develop oneself.
Violence in schools is bad for the victims and also for the perpetrators and the community at large.
Plan Guinea, in line with its policy of child protection as a topmost priority, invited on Friday June 5, 2009 government‘s school authorities, schoolchildren, NGOs and Institutions involved in child protection, for the launching of the campaign of the three year project so that our schools become heaven of peace for all.
All stakeholders (teachers, trade unions, social partners, parents and teachers associations, religious leaders and other members of the civil society) will be involved in the awareness raising campaigns and the gathering and dissemination of relevant information on violence in schools.
The Coordinator of the Steering Committee of the Campaign against violence in schools called on all stakeholders to fully participate and get involved for a successful campaign.
According to Plan Guinea Country Director, M. Ibrahima Toure, about 350 million children worldwide abandon school because of violence and advised that we all should make schools safe for learning.
The Chairperson of the Guinean Children’s Parliament praised Plan for this project and said that “violence has a physical and psychological effect on children who fear to go to unsafe classes”.
UNICEF Resident Representative in Guinea explained how he suffered in school because he writes with his left hand when his teacher used to hit him and punish him to force him to write with his right hand.“Forty years later, I am still writing with my left hand”
He added that “ Violence is not a panacea for good behaviour and does not lead to a better solution”.
The chairman of the occasion, Major Moussa Keita, who presided over the launching ceremony, expressed his happiness for the large gathering and praised Plan Guinea for adding another feather to their cap through this campaign and said that child protection in general and child protection in schools.
Representatives of the ministries of youth, sports, social development of women and children affairs, pre-varsity education,staff development and several political and administrative leaders were present and promised to get involved and make the campaign a success.
Let’s us all work very hard to have “No violence in schools” and “Stop Violence in Schools”. Let us all fight against violence against children in general and schoolchildren in particular.
“No form of child exploitation, violence, use or abuse will be tolerated in Guinea”.
Translated by: MTD
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