Issuing a massage on the the occasion of the International Children's Day which falls today (October 1), President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that in a changing socio-economic and cultural environment children face challenging and complex situations at home, in school and in the society at large. Thus the responsibility for children's added safety falls more on parents, teachers and other adults.

 

Following is the full text of the President's message

"I am pleased to send this message of greetings on the occasion of the International Children's Day.
"Children are the owners and creators of the country's future. Hence, any endeavour that benefits them would make the country's future more successful.
 
"The present government has made an unprecedented contribution to the welfare of the children including the setting up of a new Ministry for child Development and Women's Welfare, and declaring 2006 as the National Children's Year. Since then the government has done a commendable service for Children's safety and development.
 
"However, in changing socio-economic and cultural environment children face challenging and complex situations at home, in school and in the society at large. Thus the responsibility for Children's added safety falls more on parents, teachers and the adult generation. This requires an understanding of the child's world and an ability to listen to children so that the child's world and the adult world into which they graduates would be both beautiful and peaceful.
 
"I hope celebrating this year's Universal Children's Day under the theme "Let us listen to children and make their world beautiful" would be a gigantic step in consolidating children's safety and welfare by making the entire people conscious of the country's present day necessities."