Come January, cops to educate city students on child rights

Stating that the Commissionerate has already started designing a plan, Andrew Sesuraj, State convener of Tamil Nadu Child Rights Observatory and faculty at Loyola College said, “It is important that children are aware of this helpline and know the difference between good touch and bad touch. 

While schools in Salem and Tirunelveli are already seeing such programmes, the city is hoping for the same to be implemented here, by the beginning of the new year.”

Activists, along with the Special Juvenile Police Unit in Tirunelveli, on Saturday, conducted an awareness programme on POCSO and Child Protection for 5,000 students in STS School in the district. “The Child Welfare Police Officers – especially in Salem – are visiting schools. 

Almost 50 per cent of the schools there have been covered by the Women’s Police who are creating awareness on the existence of a helpline number and are holding discussions with the students,” added Sesuraj.

Efforts are also being made by the state to include such topics in the school curriculum. “We have been told by the team that was involved in developing the curriculum that this year the values of human rights and child rights have been included to the syllabus already. However, steps will be taken to introduce separate chapters,” he stated.

Meanwhile, S Namburajan, State General Secretary, Association for the Rights of all Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers, who also fights for the rights of children, said, “While it is necessary to sensitise school students on the same, why has the city police been waiting for so long?.”

The number of cases filed in 2006 were 1,580 and activists say that the numbers have tripled now. “Reporting has now increased drastically. Earlier, families were always worried about the child’s name being tarnished. However, now, with increased awareness, more families are coming forward to report the cases,” Sesuraj said, adding, awareness among the children is the only way out in safeguarding them from abuse.