C.R.C. resources given to P.M.

Today is World Children’s Day and the anniversary of the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child. To mark the occasion, the National Committee for Families and Children made a presentation to Prime Minister Said Musa this afternoon in Belmopan. News 5 was there.

Jacqueline Woods, Reporting

In 1990, Belize became the fifth country to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child. That means the country committed itself to making sure that policies are established so children have access to basic needs like health care, education, food, water and shelter. But what has actually been achieved in the past fourteen years? Well, The National Committee for Families and Children, which was established by government to see if Belize was complying with the C.R.C., says a number of projects have been accomplished; however, there is much more work that needs to be done for the country to fulfil its commitments. One area of concern has been the high incidents of child abuse and the need for legislative reform in order to address the problem.

John Flowers, Programme Coordinator, N.C.F.C.

“There have been a number of legislative reforms and quite frankly there is a need to do much more, because there are a number of areas in the laws of Belize that needs to be brought in tandem with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. But specifically some of those reforms perhaps the area of mandatory reporting and the whole child protection system… Many children, their rights are being violated especially in the area of sexual abuse and that. So the child protection system is going to be tightened and the Ministry of Human Development, along with the police, the medical, and the courts, we are developing guidelines through N.C.F.C. to see how we could best manage these cases of abuse.”

One way N.C.F.C. seeks to address the problem of child abuse is through mandatory reporting. N.C.F.C. Programme Coordinator, John Flowers, says everyone has a moral and legal right to report any suspected case.

John Flowers

“Practitioners have a legal duty to report cases of abuse. The general public has a moral obligation to report.”

Additionally, it was in response to the C.R.C., that the N.C.F.C. and the Family Services Division were established to assist children and families. Today, an educational resource packet produced by children and N.C.F.C. was officially handed over to Prime Minister Said Musa. Because the C.R.C. is included in the social studies curriculum, the packets, which include an activity book and video, will be used by primary school teachers to teach children about their rights and responsibilities.

John Flowers

“One of the frequent cries from teachers is that we don’t have resources to go along. Yes, it is in the curriculum, but we don’t have the tools to work with. And so the N.C.F.C., through working with young people, the Belize Children Advisory and the Kid-O-Rama children, we did a series of media training. And through that, one of the spin-offs is the development of a video and a resource packet for schools, for them to be able to use. It’s on the curriculum and it’s being brought on the P.S.E. exams as well. So it is to aid teachers, not only for the examination, but to help children understand the scope of their rights along with those responsibilities and the respect for others.”

Nineteen-year-old Kenrick Williams facilitated the educational packet titled, 3R’s: Rights, Responsibilities and Respect.

Kenrick Williams, Facilitator, Educational Resource Packet

“The whole purpose of the exercise is to first of all help the young people to learn about their rights, responsibilities, and to respect other people’s rights. And so with that activity, and the fact that it is in their curriculum and teachers will be using it in classes, they get the resource pack to use along with the teaching in the schools.”

“For example there is a wants and needs activity. And in fact, it includes a wants and needs cards with pictures and writing included. For example there is a picture with potable water. And it assists children to actually see something and have something tangible to work it when they are working with the C.R.C. in their schools.”

Jacqueline Woods reporting for News 5.