A group of female teachers acquired the skills of early detection and intervention in child abuse cases, during a four-day workshop in Makkah recently.

The program was organized by the Public Administration of Education, represented by the department of training and scholarships, in collaboration with the National Committee for Childhood and UNICEF.

The training took place at the education training center in the Al-Eskan neighborhood.

Layla Al-Debi, director of the training center, said the program is extremely important because it stems out of “our good Islamic religion.”

She affirmed that female teachers at schools represent the first line of defense to detect child abuse and protect them, since children spend more than five hours a day in school. “This gives female teachers and counselors the chance for the early detection of any child abuse or neglect,” she said.

Al-Debi said the program is a part of the national effort to address abuse and neglect of children. “We seek to intervene in an early stage in order to address the implications of abuse and neglect.”

She said the program included practical and theoretical training, in addition to a visual demonstration showing images for the correct and misunderstood concepts on abuse and child treatment.