Students
from various schools across region one lined the streets at the weekend to
welcome the President.
While we see nothing wrong with students welcoming the President, especially when they can be assured of school party money and perhaps APRC T-shirts and biscuits, keeping them waiting for several hours is believed to be just too much.
The Education ministry and school authorities should try to avoid sending students to the streets too early, only for them to spend nearly the whole day waiting under the hot sun.
What has happened to child rights and human rights?
This paper saw many students lining the highway from Banjul to Brikama, as early as 10 am only for the President to arrive in late afternoon and evening.
While standing for so long could make some people fall ill, it could be very irritating for many too.
Many students were seen looking very tired and hungry, as they waited for the President, whose arrival time in their area was uncertain.
In this age of mobile phones, our advise to those responsible for mobilizing support for welcoming the President is to help communicate the ideal time to school authorities, so that kids would not be asked to spend endless hours waiting.
Parents must also help their children, especially young ones to provide them with food to eat, before allowing them to go and stand at the sidewalk.
We must remember that we have a duty to respect the rights of all persons, even if they are children and teenagers!