DUE to the increase in incidents of sodomy as well as other acts of violence against children in society, parents have been advised to be close to their children all the time to find out the challenges they are going through at school and home.

The advice was given yesterday in Dodoma by the Acting Education Officer of Dodoma region Prisca Myala, when speaking  at the East Africa Primary and Nursery School graduation in Dodoma.

Myala, said due to the large increase in incidents of rape and sodomy to boys, parents should increase their closeness with their children to know the what they experience while at school, on the road and even at home.

"Parents must make arrangements to talk to children, sometimes children want to share their challenges with us, but we do not give them the chance to know what they are facing at school, on their way home  and even at home," she said.

She  said, many parents have not had time to talk to their children because they spend a lot of time in income generation activities.

"As mothers  we should not forget our natural duty to care for our children, fathers are busy with the income generation activities even if it is fifty-fifty but we should not forget our natural duty to raise children and give them protection," she said

"We are very grateful to the government for introducing new curricula that will help our children learn in practice and we continue to invest in the education sector to improve educational standard of this region" said Dr. Rose

She asked parents who have been in the habit of persuading female children to do badly in the final  exams so that they can get married to stop that behavior because that is cruelty.

"As education stakeholder  in the country, this issue of parents to force their children who have completed standard seventh to get married is cruelty and it is denying them their basic right and it is a legal offense so let these children get their basic right," she said