Educational participants at the "Know Your Rights" Forum, organized by the Dubai Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai, today called for the inclusion of the Child Rights Awareness Program as a compulsory educational material in the UAE curriculum. Training materials and practical activities, pointing out to face a number of challenges in the implementation of training programs and awareness of the rights of the child in schools, the most important of which is the difficulty of understanding all rights as contained in international agreements, and the pressure of curricula and the lack of quotas to implement the program.
A number of schools presented worksheets during the forum which confirmed that they could face some of these challenges as a result of the implementation of the "Know Your Rights" program launched by the Community Development Authority in order to spread community awareness of the culture of children's rights and build the capacity of caregivers in educational institutions.
The proposals recommended by educators include activating the role of teams in the school through a training core of students to spread the culture of the child rights awareness program known as "Know Your Rights", and the development of an executive plan for the team at the school level by the Community Development Authority to enable the teams of friends of the rights of the child to exchange Experiences, as well as increasing students enrolled in the "Know Your Rights" program to raise awareness within different schools and enhance their self-confidence to raise awareness in various public and private schools. Proposals also include special sections on children's rights in each school displaying pictures and awareness materials, in addition to providing awareness brochures and posters in recreational places frequented by the child such as recreational areas and shopping centers.
For her part, she pointed out the professional academic advisor at the 2nd of December school Khuloud Issa to the need for an interactive website dedicated to everything related to the rights of the child, which explains in one of its sections a law to protect the rights of the child, and be a platform that brings together all concerned parties to implement and support awareness programs on those rights Protecting them from any violation, such as representatives of educational bodies, parents and representatives of student friends' associations, as well as those concerned with the implementation of laws and awareness programs on children's rights.
In response to a question by the Emirates Today about clear examples confirming the practical benefit of implementing the awareness program and its ability to reduce the number of cases of violations of children's rights, Issa said that the use of therapists in parallel with the benefit of the program's impact on the thinking and practices of children, which led to Dealing with a number of violations, such as violence, physical harassment or bullying.
Issa stressed that there is a qualitative shift in the way children deal with any cases of abuse of their rights, as the child has the courage and courage to disclose these positions and seek help, which is a clear indication of the positive results of the implementation of the program.
She pointed to a set of measures taken by the school to face the challenges faced during the implementation of the program, pointing to its inclusion in the general plan of the school so as not to be an additional burden on the team of trainers from the teaching staff as well as the implementation of a training course for all categories of clients dealing with the child, in addition to diversity In the application of the program, such as the use of songs and radio flashes and exercises as well as games and drawing competitions and coloring.
Maitha Al Shamsi, Executive Director of the Human Rights Sector at the Community Development Authority, said that the adoption of the Wadima Law in 2016 and the issuance of its executive bylaw in 2018 added significant momentum to the protection of children, giving the necessary legal background and supportive to protect the rights of the child and within the participation of the widest possible group Community in it. She added that the celebration of the world on the twentieth of November, International Children's Day, is an ideal occasion to highlight the rights of children enshrined in the conventions.