Bullying and prejudice are "our worst enemy" when it comes to upholding children's rights, President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca said this morning during a conference.

She recounted how, last week, she visited two schools and had the opportunity to meet groups of children of various ages who shared their concerns with her - bullying and prejudice cropped up in all groups and across all ages.

"Prejudices emerged which I did not believe existed. I was under the impression that the main prejudice was due to immigration. But they spoke about prejudice because they wore spectacles, were fat or came from a one-parent family... This prejudice led to bulling," she told those present during the event, at Verdala Palace, organised to mark the 25th anniversary since the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The teen group spoke openly to her about self-harm in a way that suggested they did not believe their life would ever be better. They did not want to report their problems to the school counsellor as they did not want  their parents to get to know and did not want to be discussed in the staff room.

"We need to reach out to them," Ms Coleiro Preca said as she turned the subject to children in care who were bullied at school and called tfal tas-soru (nun's children). There were about 300 children in institutes and, while they were loved, it was not the individual love they needed.

"We need to do something about our adoption law," she said.

Speaking about poverty among children, she said that while she loved Malta "I am ashamed" that poverty still exists as there was no time to waste.

She stressed on the need for a Children's Act that had been in the pipeline for years saying "we need a children's mother law".