The Chair of the Rights of the Child Commission (RCC) on Monday expressed alarm at the rise of drug and alcohol addiction among students.
Handing over the RCC’s annual reports for the years 2019-2020 to Manzoor Nadir, Speaker of the National Assembly, Commission Chair Aleema Nasir said that many students are engaging in these harmful activities, prompting the commission to implement initiatives aimed at educating children about the dangers associated with substance abuse and negative influences.
Following their visits to the ten administrative regions, Nasir expressed distress over the prevalence of sexual exploitation and illegal activities among school dropouts. She remarked on the troubling trend where young individuals are increasingly becoming involved in criminal behaviour at an early age. The RCC, she said, remains committed to addressing these issues through education and advocacy, aiming to create safer environments for children and promote positive behavioural changes within communities.
“It’s a humongous task and we are trying our best to see how we can …with all the other government agencies, trying to see how best we can deal with these situations”, she said.
While she refrained from delving into specific details of the report, Nasir said that significant progress has been made despite the hurdles faced by the commission.
She emphasized the need for careful consideration of corporal punishment, highlighting it as a critical issue that appears to be worsening.
The handing over ceremony was held in the Parliament Chamber, Public Buildings, Brickdam. Georgetown.
The report will be made public after it is tabled in Parliament.
