The purpose of the program was to promote legal and civic education in Sierra Leone, especially on the Child Rights Act of 2007.
Over the weekend, the College’s law department was hosted by the IMAT Secondary School in Kingtom. Addressing pupils on the rights and responsibilities of children, the Public Relations Officer of the IMAT Law Department, Alpha Bah said many children and parents are not aware of what the Child Rights Act of 2007 is about.
He said: “The Act has twelve provisional rights that every child must enjoy; such as the right to life, right to be given a name, right to nationality amongst others.”
Mr. Bah called on pupils of the secondary school not to forget their responsibilities inasmuch these rights are so important.
“Section 45 of the Child Rights Act, 2007 clearly states the responsibilities of the child while the same section 45 states that every child should contribute towards family cohesion, respect parents and other people, exhibiting diligence towards studies and work and strengthen the positive cultural value of his community.” He said.
Principal of the school, Princella Bull emphasized on the necessity of the legal and the civic community program and its relevance in schools.
She vowed to ensure these rights and responsibilities are upheld and maintained by pupils and staff of her school.
Maada Bull went on to implore the College’s Law Department to extend its legal education program to other schools and communities not only in Freetown but also in the provinces.
Speaking on behalf of the pupils, Umarr Anderson Bundu of SSS3 said he was very delighted to have learnt a lot about what the laws say in the Child Rights Act.
He encouraged his colleagues to put on best practices in school, homes and their communities. He believed that Sierra Leone will be better with a safe space for children if they are protected and cared for through the Child Rights Act of 2007.
The College’s goal is to help the layman understand how the law operates and this is to ensure that every Sierra Leonean knows what the laws say in order to reduce the crime rate in the country.
