By KELVIN MUDENDA –
THE Media Network on Child Rights and Development (MNCRD) has called on the Government to expand the provision of early childhood education to remote areas.
MNCRD Executive Director Henry Kabwe said the Government should fulfil its partnerships with community schools in order to expand the service to rural areas.
Mr Kabwe said his organisation expected budgetary allocations aimed at enhancing the provision of early childhood education to be channelled to the most disadvantaged provinces such as Western, Luapula and North-Western provinces.
“We expect budgetary allocations to cover the most disadvantaged places such as Western, Luapula and North-Western Provinces.
“The Government should explore ways of improving access through radio and video channels in traditional leadership and local government set ups,” Mr Kabwe said.
Mr Kabwe said through his organisation’s outreach programmes across the country, he had realised that many children in rural areas were being deprived of their right to quality education.
“We expect teachers, materials and infrastructure to be made available. The pronouncement by His Excellency President Edgar Lungu to improve child participation which was backed by the acceptance of Government to include child participation at the United Nations universal periodic review in Geneva by the minister of Justice should be embedded in the Child Code Bill,” Mr Kabwe said.
“The Child Code Bill should be enacted this year and we expect all well-meaning stakeholders to support this progressive move.”
Mr Kabwe further called on the Ministry of Gender to scale up its awareness raising activities on child protection.
“We expect more awareness raising activities on child protection and the prosecution of child abusers. For example, there are more reported cases in the media of defilement which do not go to the courts of law and so, we expect a different approach,” Mr Kabwe said.
“The Seventh National Development Plan focuses on not leaving anyone behind, hence the need to ensure that everyone, including children with disabilities, are catered for. Starting from an early stage, children with disabilities should get the right start in life.”