The District Children and Women Committee which examines the progress of the programs implemented for the welfare of children and women met today (12) in the morning under the chairmanship of the District Secretary/Diplomat Ranjana Jayasinghe at the District Secretariat office auditorium.

Accordingly, many issues such as health, nutrition and mental development, child abuse and child maltreatment, education, trust, security, institutionalized children's socialization, child labour, child and women's problems at the division level were given attention in this committee.

Among the matters discussed in this committee, it was stated that efforts are being made to provide certified schools to the children who are placed on probation. Since there is a low tendency of newly married couples to register with the family service, it was pointed out the need to further succeed in the matter by getting the support of the village officials and the possibility of getting information to the family health officials through the mother family meetings held at the village level was also pointed out here. It was also revealed that there is a trend of low birth weight in the district.

In the past five months of this year, 1438 complaints related to family disputes have been reported and there is a situation where old women and young children are abused and children growing up under their parents are also often molested by their closest relatives, so awareness should be spread further. It was pointed out here.

It was said that the training program for pre-school teachers, especially untrained pre-school teachers, is currently being implemented successfully across the island and that arrangements are being made to introduce one common syllabus to the pre-school system. It was revealed in this committee that there are no complaints related to the child labor in Kegalle district and 264 children are expected to be rehabilitated by the Department of Social Services this year.

The meeting was organized by the division including Mrs. H.M.C. Kanti Herath, District Child Rights Promotion Officer.

Additional District Secretary (Administration) K.G.S. Nishantha, Additional District Secretary (Lands) Dilip Nishantha, Divisional Secretaries, Heads of Departments and Institutions related to children and women were present on the occasion.