Punjab proposes child protection committees in government schools

The Punjab Child Protection and Welfare Bureau has proposed establishing child protection committees in government schools across the province and incorporating child safety education into the school curriculum.

Chairperson of the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau Punjab, Sarah Ahmed, has sent a letter to the Secretary of School Education, recommending a comprehensive awareness and protection system for students under the vision of the Punjab chief minister. The proposal proposes the establishment of a Child Protection Committee comprising students, teachers and parents to raise awareness of children’s rights, identify protection-related issues and ensure that they are reported to the relevant authorities in a timely manner.

Sara Ahmed also recommended that understanding physical safety and personal boundaries and teaching about personal safety, as well as incorporating an understanding of good and bad touch into the school curriculum, so that children understand physical safety and personal boundaries and are able to recognize inappropriate behavior. In these lessons, children also learn how to immediately report such incidents to a trusted adult.

The letter also recommends integrating digital safety education into the curriculum to protect children from cyberbullying, online harassment, online grooming and digital exploitation. According to Sara Ahmed, it is becoming increasingly important to educate children about the safe and responsible use of social media, online privacy and their digital footprint.