""Every day, our staff are seeing children bear the brunt of war and violence across the world. Far too many children are being prevented from accessing education or are being killed, brutalized or maimed while they study or try and go to school… While we have seen some steps in the right direction, much more must be done. This is why Save the Children is calling on all states to join and implement the Safe Schools Declaration," President and CEO of Save the Children in Canada, Patricia Erb, was quoted as saying by the charity organization.
The organization added that in many conflict-hit countries, factions use schools as "barracks, arms depots and detention facilities," thus making them targets.
As recently as last week, Save the Children notes, 30 people were killed when a school near the Syrian city of Raqqa was reportedly bombed.
On March 28 and March 29, the Second International Conference on Safe Schools, aimed at protecting schools, teachers and pupils, will go ahead in Buenos Aires. Save the Children calls on governments to use the opportunity to join the Safe Schools Declaration and pledge to investigate attacks on school, bring those accountable to justice, and amend their military legislation to protect children and education facilities from attacks.
As of March, 60 countries have endorsed the declaration, which was opened in 2015.
