Child protection programme to be extended to 300 schools

KUCHING: The ‘Child Protection Advocacy Programme: Love for Children’ will be extended to 300 schools throughout Malaysia next year. 

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri stressed the programme’s significance in enhancing children’s understanding of child protection issues.

Given its benefits, she said, the programme is seen as a valuable initiative to raise awareness about children’s rights in terms of care and more. 

“The effort has received encouraging support from the nationwide Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), prompting the suggestion for its continued extension,” she said when officiating at the state-level ‘Child Protection Advocacy Programme: Love for Children’ at SMK Bandar Samariang today. 

The Santubong MP proposed the simultaneous implementation of the programme for participating schools in the future. 

So far, she added, the programme has been carried out in Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, Kelantan, Selangor, and most recently in Sarawak.

During the event, Nancy recommended a synchronised execution for the schools involved. 

The programme targeted 1,626 participants from three schools in the Santubong parliamentary area, providing exposure to issues of abuse and neglect.

Sarawak, as the fifth location for the programme, focused on students from the National Secondary School in Bandar Samariang, SK Buntal, and SMK Santubong. 

Overall, the initiative aims to educate children on self-care and protection issues and not only serves to assist children exposed to such situations but also provides support in terms of their rights for their future. 

Simultaneously, it offers exposure to victims to identify actions they can take.