CRC/C/SAU/CO/2 page 9 Corporal punishment 44. While noting with appreciation the regular circulars issued by the Ministry of Education, which prohibit the beating or ill-treatment of children during all stages of general education and prescribe penalties designed to deter teachers from committing such acts, the Committee notes with concern that corporal punishment is lawful and widely used in the home and that it is a lawful penal sanction. 45. The Committee recommends that the State party take legislative measures to prohibit all forms of corporal punishment in all settings, including the family. It further recommends that the State party carry out public education campaigns about the negative consequences of corporal punishment on children and promote positive, non-violent forms of discipline as an alternative to corporal punishment. 5. Family environment and alternative care (arts. 5, 18 (paras. 1-2), 9-11, 19-21, 25, 27 (para. 4) and 39 of the Convention Parental responsibilities 46. The Committee welcomes the information provided by the State party that it has introduced programmes on the upbringing of children. However, it notes with concern that these programmes do not necessarily cover children born from “marriages of convenience” (known as Mesyar). In the light of article 18 of the Convention, the Committee recalls the importance of the family in the upbringing and development of the child. 47. The Committee recommends that the State party continue to develop and implement programmes to raise awareness on the importance of shared parental responsibilities, including both parents’ obligations to support, assist and educate their children, and to provide parents and children with adequate skills and support services in this respect. It recommends that these programmes also pay attention to children born from “marriages of convenience” (known as Mesyar). It also recommends that the State party conduct a study to assess early childhood development and childcare practices at the household level. Institutional and alternative care 48. While acknowledging with appreciation the kafalah system, the Committee is concerned that its application does not ensure the full enjoyment of all rights provided by the Convention. It is also concerned that the placement of children in institutional care is not always used as a measure of last resort. 49. The Committee recommends that the State party continue to develop and implement legislative and other measures, policies and procedures to ensure that children receive, when necessary, adequate alternative care, preferably in their own immediate families or extended families or in kafalah, which fully respects the provisions of the Convention, in particular articles 20 and 21. The Committee invites the State party to