THIRTY-THREE basic schools in South West St Andrew yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Hope for Children Development Corporation (HCDC) and the Jamaica Coalition for the Rights of the Child (JCRC), for the mandatory reporting of child abuse cases.

The agreement comes into effect today, which is being observed as Universal Children’s Day,

and the parties committed themselves to the reporting of every incident or reasonable suspicion of physical or sexual child abuse or neglect. Children who are reasonably suspected to be in need of care and protection will also be reported to the authorities.

“Under the memorandum of understanding that we have signed, the 33 basic schools are committed to eliminate all incidents of child abuse and violence against children who are attending these schools,” executive director of the HCDC Richard Troupe told the Observer at a function held at the Christian Holiness Church on Maxfield Avenue in Kingston.

“One of the things that we are very firm on is to support a provision under the Child Care and Protection Act for the mandatory reporting of child abuse. We believe that it is wrong for the community to keep silent when they know of children who are being physically abused and neglected by their caregivers,” said Troupe.

Under the MOU, special attention will be given to the views and opinions of the children in basic schools and communities, particularly those with special behavioural or emotional needs.

“The opinions of children are important and if children come and share issues of abuse then we should listen to our children because, as adults, we tend to not listen and take hearsay over the concerns of our children,” he said.

Proper child-care and parenting practices and the recognition and observance of the rights and best interest of the children among the parents, guardians, community leaders, teachers and child care-givers within the school community will also be enforced.

Meanwhile, Carol Samuels, executive director of the JCRC, said Universal Children’s Day calls attention to the issues that affect children.

“We have many reasons to celebrate,” she said. “This year the Child Care Protection Act became a reality and that is a reason to celebrate.”

According to Samuels, last year 70 children were murdered – 62 boys and eight girls, while 366 children under age 16 were carnally abused and 574 under the age of 18 were raped.

Guest speaker Howard Hamilton, the public defender, said if children were not positively influenced from birth to age five, it is very difficult to curb them after that. “If you don’t capture them then you have lost them,” he said. “Teach a child in the way he should grow and his ways will not depart from him,” said the public defender.