The National Children Protection Authority (NCPA) will establish a child protection committee in all 9,700 government schools island-wide to address the problems faced by children.

The opening of the first child protection committee will take place tomorrow, September 29, at Ananda Balika Vidyalaya in Kotte. NCPA Deputy Chairman Nanda Indrawansa said that it was vital to address the problems of children through a particular medium and that it was ideal to do so through the schools.

“All those below 18 are considered children and these committees will be an ideal platform for the children to find solutions to their problems and to have a better understanding of what is right and wrong,” Indrawansa said.

She said day to day problems faced by children such as drugs, sexual abuse, harassment, domestic problems, conflict between children and other problems can be addressed through the child protection committees.

Each committee will comprise students, teachers and parents. Schools with over 1,000 students will consist of a committee of 40 members. She said the NCPA hopes to se up the committees in all government schools before the end of December and may try to establish such committees in private schools a well. (Olindhi Jayasundere