Effectiveness of child protection system needs to be improved
Amidst a surge in crimes against children, the Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights convened a high-level meeting at the Conference Hall, Secretariat, with heads of departments and district administration, chaired by the chairperson of Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights Peter F Borges.
The joint meeting had representatives from the Directorate of Education, the Goa Education Development Corporation, the Department of Tribal Welfare, the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, the district magistrates of North Goa and South Goa and the Goa Police.
In the opening remarks, Peter F Borges said that child protection is a shared responsibility, including all departments which are either providing welfare or protection at various levels.
Child safeguarding and protection has been given too little attention for quite some time now. The most common reactions are that it does not happen, is someone else’s responsibility or is an isolated incident.
He further said that child protection and welfare are not charity and need to be just and decisive, and all the actors need to improve the operational efficiency and effectiveness of the child protection system.
Key discussions and recommendations were:
The Directorate of Women and Child Development is to formulate a state child protection policy and enforce a customised child protection policy in registered children’s homes. Further, it should complete the long pending recruitment of personnel for the District Child Protection Unit.
The Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs and Sports Authority of Goa will formulate and enforce child protection policy at coaching centres, training academies, sports associations and clubs, with guidelines for institutions, coaches and trainees to ensure safety, security and a healthy environment for the all-round development of children.
The joint meeting had representatives from the Directorate of Education, the Goa Education Development Corporation, the Department of Tribal Welfare, the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, the district magistrates of North Goa and South Goa and the Goa Police.
The district magistrates are to identify all institutions housing children, including boarding houses, hostels, those imparting religious education, unregulated coaching institutes and training academies, excluding registered children’s homes and ensure their registration as per laws, with relevant authorities, to bring them under the ambit of child protection with relevant safeguards.
The Directorate of Education will formulate and enforce child protection policy in all schools and amend the POCSO circular with the latest amendments suggested by the Commission in view of the delay in mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse. Further, it recommends rigorous implementation of the Personal Safety Education programme through nodal teachers trained by the Commission.
Village child committees must be strengthened and Balgram Sabha conducted at all panchayats with a defined agenda by the Directorate of Panchayat to address children’s protection issues and mechanisms at the village level by the end of November 2023.