‘School syllabus to have stuff to save children from abuse’

LAHORE: Provincial Minister for Schools Education Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan has said that material related to prevention of child abuse will be made part of the school curriculum so that no one could dare exploit innocent kids.

He said the Punjab government had prepared a booklet consisting of more than 24 points named “Pakeeza Zindagi.” He said that important material would be added to the booklet and its 0.4 million copies will be published for free distribution in general public, students, parents and teachers across the province. He said this while addressing a press conference in the committee room of Punjab Curriculum and Textbook (PCTB) Board on Wednesday, according to a handout issued here.

He said the booklet would guide the children and their parents about the safety of children from such heinous crimes. Important information regarding children’s activities in their homes, schools and in society along with health tips will be included in it. Similarly, regular teacher-parent meetings will also be held so that parents could remain abreast of the activities of their kids. He said that teams consisting of educationists and psychiatrists would start their work to sensitise the students about the issues related to their safety from criminals. He emphasised that the role of the national media was key to launch awareness campaign to stop child abuse at the grassroots. Workshops and seminars will also be conducted forthe awareness of children, parents and teachers. "We are also working on teachers' training," he added.

The minister also condemned the rape-cum-murder of a three-year old girl in Mardan, KP and asked the opposition leaders had they ensured justice to the hapless girl of the KP? He said that it was better that instead of doing politics on the dead bodies, the opposition leaders should have visited the bereaved family to console them. He made it clear that Muslim League-N did not believe in politics on the dead bodies and maintained that the elements involved in the sit-in were, in fact, desirous of promoting anarchy in the country so that the CPEC could be hampered. He said that incidents of cruelty against innocent children in KP showed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had failed there. PCTB Chairman Muhammad Akram and MD Abdul Qayyum were also present.