Some 70 primary school teachers in Grand Bereby and neighboring villages on 12 November 2014 received training on the rights and obligations of the teacher conducted by the Human Rights division of the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) in collaboration with the Ivorian Legal Clinic.



The training which took place against a background of a rising number of cases of rape reported in the San Pedro division was aimed at putting a stop to this affliction. Participants were schooled on the protection of the child, and the civil and criminal responsibility of the teacher.



Paul Zokou of UNOCI Human Rights division spoke lengthily on the protection of children and how to improve their behavior. The aim, he said, was to promote the smooth education of the child, free of corporal and humiliating punishment. "A teacher should be a model to his pupil and should teach by example," he said.



Medard Nguessan of the Legal Clinic in San Pedro told the teachers that criminal responsibility was personal and individual. "You have no right to go on strike when one of your colleagues is arrested for rape of a minor. I encourage you to report cases of maltreatment of children. No crime should go unpunished and those who know but fail to report are also guilty," he said.

After the presentations, the pedagogic adviser, Jean Claude Sie Gnebehi said he was satisfied with the importance of the two presentations. "We were edified by the quality of the presentations. Thank you for teaching us how to go about many things we were not aware of. This training would help us change our behaviour," he admitted.



The training is the first of a series scheduled by the Mutuality and social services in schools of the Inspectorate of Primary Education to educate teachers of the Grand Bereby Sub prefecture.