Child protection issues are not reflected properly in the textbooks and curriculum from sixth to 12th grade, resulting in little knowledge about child rights and shortcomings to combat violence against them, a study said. According to the findings of the study, the students reported that content related to child protection was given less importance by the teachers. Therefore, they did not feel interested to know more about the issue. However, they added that questions should be included in examinations to make it more relevant.
Though, child protection issues have been incorporated in textbooks to some extent, there is hardly any practice to impart practical knowledge regarding it, the study said.
According to the study, the majority of teachers and parents said there is a wide gap between their knowledge and practice. They suggested that child protection issue should be incorporated in the teacher’s training programme and an effective monitoring system should be developed to ensure it’s taken seriously.
It also said that the school authorities and management committees should ensure the safety of children. The study called, Exploring the Current Status and Importance of Incorporating Child Protection Issues in Textbook and Curriculum from Sixth to 12th grade, was conducted by the World Vision Bangladesh and was released at a programme at the BRAC Inn Centre in the capital yesterday.
Curriculum and textbooks of four selected subjects –Bangla, English, Social Science and Religion and Moral Education – were reviewed for the study that was conducted in Dhaka city from July 2015 to August 2015. Umme Mustari Tithi, Chairman, Department of Curriculum and Instructional Technology, Institute of Education and Research, Dhaka University, was the head of the study group. It also found that the right to protect children from sexual abuse and the right to protect them from all forms of abduction and trafficking have not been addressed in any of the sampled subjects of any grade.
Even the right to protect from any activity that could harm a child’s development has not been addressed in the sampled curriculum.
However, the content has been incorporated in all the sampled textbooks to some extent.
The study recommended that the government should explore some effective mechanism through which implementation of child protection issues can be ensured.  The government should join both the electronic and print media to propagate child protection issues to ensure awareness among the people.
The programme was attended by Kazi Reazul Haque, National Human Rights Commission member, Prof. Narayan Chandra Pal, National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) chairman, Prof. Md Mosiuzzaman, member of NCTB, Prof. (Dr) Mia Enamul Haque Siddique, member of NCTB, Prof. Jalal Uddin, former director of IER, Dhaka University and Chandan Z Gomez, Director of World Vision Bangladesh.
Reazul Haque said that the state has to take the responsibility to protect children from all forms of violence. He also pointed out that though the number of female students is increasing compared to male students, it should be taken into consideration that male students are dropping out because they are being engaged in child labou