The use of alcohol and drugs among children, and corporal punishment are among the “terrible” findings in the annual reports of the Rights of the Child Commission.
This revelation was made by Chairperson of the Rights of the Child Commission, Aleema Nasir, as she handed over the reports for the years 2019 and 2020 to Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir on Monday.
The annual reports will be made public after they are tabled in the National Assembly.
While delivering brief remarks prior to the handing over, Nasir said that corporal punishment remains a challenge.
However, she said another area of concentration was the misuse of alcohol and drugs.
“This is really, really a terrible area because in all the schools of Guyana, and I say this with confidence, in each school there are children there who are doing drugs and alcohol including the religious schools,” Nasir stated.
To this end, Nasir said the Commission has been working in trying to get children realise the need to stop consuming drugs and alcohol, which can have long-term effect on their lives.
“Stop doing what their friends are doing and what their neighbours are encouraging them to do… They are spoiling their lives.
“They have to understand that they are putting themselves in a lot of danger,” Nasir said.
The Rights of the Child Commission plays a vital role in advocating for the protection and promotion of the rights and welfare of children in the country.
Their reports, which are prepared annually, highlight key initiatives and actions taken by the Commission to safeguard the wellbeing of children.
According to Nasir, during these periods, the Commission visited all 10 administrative regions across the country and it was very “distressing” since it was found that in some areas there is much sexual abuse and incest.
In other areas, children are not in school and they find themselves in contact with the law.
“So it’s a humungous task and we are trying our best to see how we can deal with these situations,” Nasir said.
