Caption: PM Peter O'Neill.
By MATTHEW VARI
THE
government has revealed that it is committed to addressing social issues in the
country’s cities like the rise in kids living on the streets.
When asked
by the media on what the government was doing to address the rising problem of
children living of the streets- Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said the
government was looking at partnering non-governmental organization that take in
homeless children to give them life skills.
He laid the
blame on parents who were neglecting their children’ right to the free
education currently provided by the national government, but he also understood
that there were genuine street kids that had lost their parents.
“Firstly we
have introduced the free education system, they should not be hanging around
the streets, and should be in classrooms- that is why the free education policy
was introduced to capture kids running around aimlessly,” the PM said.
“I know that
there are incidences of kids without parents- we are working closely with
organizations like the city mission who are taking in many of these kids.”
“We urge the
children to get in touch with our officials in community development so we can
settle them in with organization that assist them.”
Prime
Minster O’Neill also raised concerns of a new trend that has parents using
their children at traffic stops to beg for money as a source of income,
condemning the practice of those parents involved.
“I think we
must discourage a new trend where parents are using their kids to be on the
streets and working and continuously use them as a source of income themselves.”
“We have
never done this as a country before and we all as a community must discourage
this.”
“Many have
parents sitting on the side encouraging them to go and harass traffic and
people on the streets.”
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