General News of Monday, 24 October 2005

Source: GNA

Using children for fishing is abuse of rights - CHRAJ

Aflao, Oct 24, GNA - The Ketu District Directorate of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has said the excessive use of pupils by schools for fishing amounted to abuse of their rights.

It said sending pupils to help fishermen at the beaches and on other errands during class hours to make money for some activities of the school was wrong.

Mr Gilbert Adzraku, the Ketu District CHRAJ Director, said this at the weekend during the inauguration of a seven-member executive of the Human Rights Club of the Victory International, a Private Basic School, at Avoeme-Aflao.

He said children had the unqualified right to protection by their parents and society.

Mr Adzraku expressed regret that many people suffered and even perished as a result of inhuman and degrading treatments meted out to them due to inadequate knowledge of their fundamental rights. "You pupils and teachers have to teach your communities and colleagues the rights they deserve and owe others under the 1992 constitution for us to build a just society," he said. Mr Emmanuel Vanderpuye, Proprietor of Victory International, noted that Ghana's middle level income goal could be derailed if teachers and other stakeholders did not create for them good teaching and learning environment.