Child Rights Parliament | (Pic: EdexLive + Wikipedia)
Over 70 students, two from each district in Karnataka, were at Vidhana Soudha on Tuesday to take part in the Child Rights Parliament and discuss issues faced by them in schools and their educational journeys. The students, who were scheduled to meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, were disappointed as the CM had other pressing commitments, stated a report in The New Indian Express.
Captain Ganesh Karnik, former MLC and member of the Karnataka Legislative Forum for Child Rights, met the students and engaged them in a fruitful discussion.
Students raised questions such as the need to extend the Right To Education (RTE) up to the age of 18 years, instead of 14 years. The children urged the government to recognise children who are orphaned and provide them with appropriate scholarships to complete their education, without any caste or religious barriers.
Other issues that came up were regarding the government scheme that provides free pads to menstruating girls should switch to sustainable, cotton pads. “We’ve read that burning plastic leads to greater levels of pollution, but in villages, people are burying them or burning pads so we want to request the government to take note of the issue,” said one student.
Illegal liquor shops are found in high numbers in rural areas, leading to alcohol addiction in adults. “Children are beaten up and many parents don’t even meet the basic amenities needed to raise children. Such children are under immense stress and cannot focus on education, many even take extreme steps and die by suicide,” said Karnataka Child Rights Observatory (KCRO) and students at Vidhana Soudha, seeking immediate action from the government.
Other suggestions such as encouraging the use of millets in midday meals, proper sex education by professionals, stricter laws on child marriages and wider promotion of schemes related to children, were discussed. Members from UNICEF and KCRO will take up recommendations with the officials concerned.
