Now, schoolkids to learn about sexual offences from new session

Ranchi: Class VI to XII students of public schools will now get a lesson in The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act of 2012 (Pocso) beginning new academic year under the National Education Policy 2020.
The department of school education and literacy will educate students in every district on child rights, abuse, and human trafficking as well as how to file a complaint against these crimes. Students will receive Pocso-related information as part of the School Health and Wellness Programme (SHWP), an initiative of Ayushman Bharat, which is a join effort of the department of school education and literacy (Jharkhand Council of Educational Research and Training) and the National Health Mission (Rashtriya Aishwarya Swasthya Karyakaram Koshanng).
The school management committees (SMCs) and teachers will hold a monthly session during which they will provide information regarding child marriage, sexual abuse and its various forms. The session will explore measures to ensure safety and protection of children in relation to child marriage and child sexual abuse, protection of their rights, rehabilitation of children and formation of specific procedures for children's best interests among other things.
An education department official said, "Jharkhand has established a total of 27 special Pocso courts to aid victims. As of 30 September 2022, 9615 cases have been registered. Of them, 4,782 are pending and 4,101 resolved as of September 2022."
Talking to TOI, Banke Bihari Singh, assistant director of JCERT-cum-nodal programme officer of SHWP, said, "According to the World Health Organization’s report, one in ten children, including school-aged kids, are victims of sexual assault. Child sexual abuse can occur anywhere, thus the education department is implementing the project for students safety to make it simpler for kids to file complaints."