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Plan marks World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse

Anil Kapoor (centre left) with children at the Plan India campaign launch

November 2008: Plan has launched Learn Without Fear initiatives across Africa and Asia to mark the World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse and Universal Children's Day.

Bollywood star and Plan goodwill ambassador Anil Kapoor launched the Learn Without Fear campaign in India.

Mr Kapoor said: “Children are facing violence in the form of corporal punishment in schools. The violence results in absenteeism, dropping-out and lack of motivation for academic achievement. It is my appeal to all that we must protect children from any kind of violence in schools“.

Children’s experiences

Across Nepal, 50 radio stations broadcast live campaign messages. Children spoke of their experiences of corporal punishment at school, while Minister of Education Renu Yadav said the government would collaborate with Plan to address corporal punishment.

In Burkina Faso, 200 children demanded an end to school violence. One primary school pupil said: “At school, children beat and insult each other. Teachers often use the whip, but they themselves also experience violence sometimes.”

Minister of Basic Education, Odile Bonkoungou advocated for an end to violence in school.

Rooting out violence

In Tanzania, over 300 people including government ministers, students and teachers attended a Learn Without Fear event. Deputy Minister of Education and Vocational Training and former teacher, Mwantunu Mahiza, thanked Plan for its contributions to children's development and called on Tanzanians to help root out ''the intolerable curse'' of sexual violence in schools.

At the campaign launch in Sierra Leone, a teenage school girl said: ''There are situations in which innocent young girls are seduced by their male teachers and as a result end up getting pregnant and have to leave school. Such girls may never have the opportunity to go back to school to finish their education.”

She added: “We would really like our schools to be violence free so that we attend every day throughout the year and learn without fear."

Global reach

Learn Without Fear has now been launched in over 25 countries around the world. More launch events are coming soon.

To get the latest campaign news, sign up for updates.

The World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse is celebrated each year on 19 November. Universal Children's Day is celebrated on 20 November.

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Friends like to make fun of me or look down on me. I feel that this is a form of violence without them hurting me physically. Teachers sometimes do the same thing and blame me in front of other children. I was humiliated.

Child, Thailand

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