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Al-Ahram Weekly 2 - 8 March 2000 Issue No. 471 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 2 - 8 March 2000 Issue No. 471
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Interview Features Focus Heritage Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters On behalf of the children
By Dahlia HammoudaThe National Council for Childhood and Motherhood's Technical Advisory Committee held its first meeting this week under its new membership and after the announcement of the new Decade for the Egyptian Child. Presided over by the committee's head, Mrs Suzanne Mubarak, the meeting discussed the achievements of the First Decade for the Egyptian Child in the fields of health, education and culture. The meeting also discussed the future vision of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM) for the Second Decade for the Egyptian Child.
In mid-February, President Hosni Mubarak issued the second presidential decree of its kind declaring the years 2000-2010 as being dedicated to protecting and caring for the Egyptian child.
In her speech at the committee meeting, Mrs Mubarak said that there would be a focus in the new decade on projects to improve the life of the Egyptian child. A new board was chosen for the NCCM's Technical Advisory Committee to cope with the demands of the coming stage of the new child decade.
The NCCM -- the main body entrusted with setting plans, policies and programmes for the advancement of children and women -- was also given a new head. A decree was issued by Prime Minister Atef Ebeid late last year appointing Ambassador Moushira Khattab as council secretary-general, replacing Amina El-Guindi, minister of insurance and social affairs. Khattab was deputy foreign minister for international cultural affairs. Chaired by the prime minister, the council has as its members the ministers of social affairs, health, education, culture, labour, planning, information and the chairman of the higher council for youth and sports, in addition to a maximum of three public figures with experience in childhood and motherhood affairs.
The Technical Advisory Committee has 20 members, all of whom are public figures working in the field of public service and with experience in issues related to childhood and motherhood.
Mrs Mubarak outlined the targets ahead in the new decade. In the educational field, the ongoing policy of updating school curricula will continue, as well as raising enrolment capacities in schools offering basic education and providing talented students with opportunities to develop their creativity. "A gradual expansion in the establishment of kindergartens is also planned, with the aim to enroll 60 per cent of all children in the four-to-six age group," Mrs Mubarak said. "Children with special needs will receive special attention, especially in terms of the provision of various types of educational and rehabilitation facilities. Current efforts to spread advanced educational technologies in schools will also be sustained."
Mrs Mubarak heading the first meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood
In the health field, the provision of health insurance for almost 90 per cent of Egyptian children, including special needs children, is on the agenda, Mrs Mubarak said. The extension of reproductive health and family planning services, as well as raising the quality of health services, are also planned.
Socially, according to Mrs Mubarak, the new decade aims at protecting children in difficult circumstances, taking all necessary measures to overcome the problems that face female children and ensuring the participation of every child in a sports, social or cultural club.
"In the new decade, we want to stress the values of tolerance, forgiveness, mutual love and respect for the freedoms and feelings of others. Children should be brought up with a feeling of belonging to their nation and they should be taught to shun fanaticism, hatred and violence," she said.
Concluding her speech, Mrs Mubarak praised the work of the council, saying that it had succeeded in raising public and government awareness of pressing issues such as care of special needs children, juvenile delinquency and child labour.
