CHILD PROTECTION ENGAGEMENT AT SCHOOLS
The team of officers in collaboration with Ghana Health Service (GHS), NCCE, DOVVSU, and Department of Labour engaged pupils, students. During the meetings students were able to re assess the issues that predominate among them. The Department in collaboration with the above stakeholders visited the selected schools and communities for effective sensitization/engagement within the municipality.
Tools used were, balloon games, flashcards, child rights and responsibilities leaflets, and mapping of safe and unsafe places.
The team discovered a lot of cases in the school some of which were handled and counselled immediately while others were scheduled for follow ups to enable further probing into the issues in detail. Issues identified were parental neglect, sexual harassment, child labour.
Pupils who had issues were counselled whiles the teachers were also sensitized.
There were child neglect cases and officers advised pupils to urge their caregivers to report the cases at the Department.
There were also a number of pupils who were not being supported financially by their parents
Some of the students had single parents who were finding it difficult to take care of them. A follow up visit has been scheduled to this particular school for further investigations into the issues identified.