The Office of the Commissioner for Children has once again worked closely with the MCAST Institute for Art and Design. Mr Stephen Vella, Director of the Institute, presented the Commissioner for Children, Mrs Helen D’Amato, with resources on Road Safety and Positive Parenting which were produced by the students who are currently following various courses at the Institute for Art and Design.
The students produced the following resources:
Road Safety:
An activity book aimed at 5 to 7 year olds;
A comic book aimed at 8 to 11 year olds;
An animated cartoon aimed at 11 to 15 year olds.
Even though we often hear about road safety campaigns, there is still the need for such awareness to be created among children. Children should be made aware of road safety in order to keep themselves safe as well as to ensure that they adhere to the rules on the road.
Transport Malta, carries out various sessions with children in schools and therefore these child-friendly resources will enhance the message that is being portrayed.
The students also produced a set of video clips on Positive Parenting which shall be used during the Blue Ribbon Campaign which is carried out by Agenzija Apogg during the month of May with the aim of preventing child abuse.
The Office of the Commissioner for Children said that it feels that parents should be equipped with necessary skills for parenting in order for positive methods of discipline to be used. To this end the need for these resources was felt and they will therefore be used during the parental skills courses.
Mrs D’Amato said that the resources produced by the students are invaluable as they are giving us the opportunity to use locally produced resources as seen through the eyes of the young persons themselves.
The Commissioner for Children also thanked Transport Malta and Agenzija Appogg for their technical support as well as the Institute of Art and Design for their commitment in producing these resources.