In response to Lusa, regarding the International Day of Non-Violence and Peace, which this Tuesday marks, the Ministry says that the project involves the creation of a Suggestions and Complaints Resolution Mechanism, with an access door from boxes placed in schools, an online form or a telephone number, which will be made available during this month.
Recognizing that Angolan schools record cases of bullying, gender-based violence and sexual harassment, according to reports, which are more common in secondary education, the Ministry emphasizes that, however, there is no concrete data on this phenomenon.
Asked about the existence of regulations that prevent the application of corporal punishment in schools, the source stated that Angola has ratified conventions on human rights and children's rights.
On the other hand, "children are a priority enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Angola and included in successive Executive Programs, such as the 11 Commitments to Children that were adopted by the Government of Angola in 2007 and revised in 2011", he said.
The Ministry emphasizes that the Angolan Constitution itself "consecrates the Rights of the Child as a fundamental right and, to guarantee this right, the State, the family and Society are constitutionally obliged to create conditions for the integral and harmonious education of the child, the protection of their physical and mental health, as well as their full development".
A study by the Non-Governmental Organization Educo, released on International Education Day (24 January), revealed that corporal punishment continues to be used in schools in 63 countries as a corrective and punitive method.
According to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), worldwide it is estimated that one in three minors is a victim of bullying at school, a figure that rises to 48 percent on the African continent and 41 percent in the Middle East.
On the other hand, corporal punishment continues to be used as a corrective and punitive method in many contexts. It is legally banned in schools in 132 countries, but is still allowed in 63, according to Educo.
"Boys and girls have the right to be protected as established in the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child. Unfortunately, many suffer violence of different types and degrees. Furthermore, sometimes they are not aware of it because they have it normalized in their lives", declared the general director of Educo, Pilar Orenes.
