Ad-hoc database hampers child development

Dharma Sri Abeyratne

There is no proper mechanism or updated database to get information about children. This situation has become a great hindrance to the Child Development and Women’s Empowerment Ministry when steps are taken in the child development sector, Ministry sources said.

Accurate database of children is vital for programs carried out by the Child Development and Women’s Empowerment Ministry. Apart from the Child Development and Women’s Empowerment Ministry, projects are carried out frequently by other institutions and Ministries such as Education Ministry Social Services Department and Non Government Organizations targeting children.

Child Development and Women’s Empowerment Minister Tissa Karaliyadda also admitted that there is no up-to-date database with the Ministry.

Therefore, the Ministry will get information from the forthcoming countrywide census.

The Ministry will forward suggestions to the Census and Statistics Department to be enclosed to the census paper which will be used in the next census, sources said. The Education Ministry carried out a School Census throughout the country on available resources in the school system.

Since this census is carried out annually, the trustworthiness of the school census database is high. The Child Development and Women’s Empowerment Ministry can get data from the School Census database, Education Ministry sources said.

Sources said the school census program does not cover the entire children in the country but the children in the school system.