Nine in ten children in Bangladesh say it is very important for the government to spend more on education, health and other areas that directly impact children, according to a new Unicef survey, reports UNB.
Some 14,000 children and 37,000 young people aged 18-24 participated in the survey, which asked them for their opinions about the national budget.
Children are also posting their top priority asks for the national budget on Unicef's Generation Parliament online platform.
"Children have a lot to say about what they want from us, about their hopes and aspirations. As public representatives we need to listen to them and engage with them meaningfully. From my position, I will continue to champion their rights and convey their voices to national leaders for a better Bangladesh," said Md Shamsul Haque Tuku, Chairman of the Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights.
"Every aspect of children's lives has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the findings from this survey show that they are aware and concerned. It is critical that national leaders listen to them," said Sheldon Yett, Unicef Representative to Bangladesh.
Learning loss caused by eighteen months of pandemic school closures was identified as a priority in the survey.
Over 85 per cent of children who participated in the survey said it is very important for Bangladesh to spend more on education to help children recover from learning loss.
A majority of the children also said what is most needed is investment in teacher education and training.
Quality health care at affordable prices also emerged as a pressing concern.
For more than 90 per cent of the children who participated in the survey, it is very important that Bangladesh invests more to speed up progress towards universal health coverage.
Despite enormous progress in Bangladesh, millions of children continue to face violence, abuse, and are forced into child marriage or child labour. Recognising that social workers on the ground play a vital role to protect children, over 65 per cent of the children participating in the survey said it is very important for them to see more spending on social workers.
The survey findings and children's debate entries on the Generation Parliament platform show that children are both aware and eloquent when given the opportunity to express what they want from their national leaders.
Four million people, including 1.6 million children, stranded by flash floods in north-eastern Bangladesh, are in urgent need of help, said Unicef .
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
