Director backs safety
The National, Monday February 16th, 2015
By DEMAS TIEN
A SAFE environment is an ideal place where effective learning will take place, an official says.
Lahara Birdwing School director Paul Harricknen says his school has a responsibility to provide a safe environment in which children can learn.
During the launching of the Port Moresby school’s new Child Protection Policy last Thursday at Lahara Birdwing, Harricknen said they established a safe environment in which their students could work and develop.
The policy was launched by Department for Community Development secretary Anna Solomon.
Harricknen said: “We ensure that we practise safe recruitment in checking the suitability of staff and volunteers working with students.”
He said to enable the safety of children the school would now follow the newly launched child protection policy.
He said the child protection policy was based on the fundamental principle that children had equal dignity and human rights.
He said children’s rights were recognised and enforceable under the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Children (CRC), the Lukautim Pikinini Act (LPA), Criminal Code and the Constitution of PNG.
He said the four main categories of child abuse stated in the policy were: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect.
Lahara Birdwing School celebrated the opening of its newly built double classrooms and a residence for the principal last Thursday.
Catholic Archbishop of Port Moresby John Ribat, who opened the facilities, said education in the church was a place of evangelisation.