Edmund Rice International

A couple of articles on corporal punishment elsewhere on this website have attracted some comment and discussion. Whilst it is undeniable that corporal punishment was once relatively common in many Christian Brothers Schools (as it was in most schools and in the broader community at the time) and whilst it was also the case that [...]

Corporal punishment was banned in Kenyan schools in 2001. Despite this, the practice continues to be widespread. Many teachers, parents and caregivers remain unconvinced of the value of alternative methods of disciplining children and the legal system appears unwilling to deal with any teacher who violates the rights of children in this matter. Belief in [...]

The joint submission to the Universal Periodic Review of Kenya to which ERI contributed commented on the disparities and the gaps between rural and urban zones in providing access to education. The reality of that disparity was brought home to ERN co-ordinator Johstone Shisanya and Br Martin Binenya on a recent visit to a rural [...]

Free primary education (FPE) was introduced in Kenya in 2003 resulting in a dramatic increase in the number of children enrolled in schools. The influx of additional pupils has impacted negatively on the quality of education provided – for example overcrowded classrooms, lack of teachers and inadequate infrastructure but nevertheless many children still do not [...]

Amidst the negative press coverage about the Catholic Church that has saturated the media following the ongoing revelations about sexual abuse and its cover-up, it was refreshing to read the following article that appeared online recently. The article, about the program run by the Christian Brothers in their former orphanage in Dum Dum is a [...]

In Sierra Leone the Christian Brothers are embarking on a nation-wide birth registration sensitization program in collaboration with Cord-Aid Sierra Leone. Article 7 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child states that:- “The child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from birth to a name, the right to [...]

The work of the Christian Brothers in providing psycho-social and educational support to young people traumatized by war in Sierra Leone was acknowledged in a recent article in the local tabloid newspaper “We Yone”. Under the banner headline “Christian Brothers – Championing the Cause of Disadvantaged Children” the article featured an interview with David Yambusu [...]

ERI supports the Caritas Internationalis HAART for Children global campaign to promote supply of and access to medicines for children living with HIV/AIDS and is encouraging all Edmund Rice Schools to become involved in the children’s letter-writing campaign. Contact us at ERI for further information.

It is difficult not to view the recent excommunication of the nine-year old girl who had become involuntarily pregnant because of rape as a clear issue of the rights of the child. She was violated, a victim of male violence and further subjected to defamation on the part of the Church authorities in Recife, Brazil. [...]

How many of you read on the bus? Maybe you don’t ride the bus. My work commute takes 50 minutes, composed of a seven minute bus commute at the start, followed by a 30 minute tram ride on the Number 15 Geneva tram, and ending with an eight minute TPG Number 5 bus ride. In [...]