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I support pregnant girls continuing school in their current class because of many reasons.
* education is a constitutional right.
* educated mothers have better health outcomes for themselves and their children.
* adolescence is a time of experimenting and pushing boundaries
* education is a constitutional right.
* educated mothers have better health outcomes for themselves and their children.
* adolescence is a time of experimenting and pushing boundaries
Adolescents make many bad decisions. Fact. This is the time many start drinking, smoking, having sex, doing drugs. Our role should be to make the bad decisions fewer, but when they are made the result must not be catastrophic.
I come from an angle of loving the pregnant teen, and wanting the best outcome for her.
*We all know that
sexual and reproductive services are suboptimal. Unintended pregnancies continue. While we improve prevention on one hand we must steal deal with those who are pregnant.
*We all know that
sexual and reproductive services are suboptimal. Unintended pregnancies continue. While we improve prevention on one hand we must steal deal with those who are pregnant.
The scientist in me wants evidence that teen pregnancies will increase. SA pays a grant to the young mothers so I do not consider it a good comparison. The pregnant struggling girl may even serve as a deterrent, and she can be a resource as a promoter of SRH services.
The concerns for medical complications are valid. Worst case scenario- she goes into labour in class- send her to the health facility. Same way schools deal with children who fall ill at school eg epileptic seizure. As for the ante-natal issues she can have her care at clinics.
What if she is not physically able to walk, or stay awake etc. She can decide for herself. But the state has said the school will not decide for her. Every pregnancy is unique, and we do not know what she will be able to cope with. She decides!
Concern for psychological trauma is valid. She has failed and is eating herself up already. Do not say she will be bullied. Say we will bully her as teachers, neighbours, and will teach our children to do the same. But this we can work on.
The law is here. Implementation will be difficult. We should be planning how to make it happen for the girls. Not already throwing in spanners. We have to learn a lot, including how to think differently about this. It will work, but only if we put effort.
We should be researching the best time to stop going to school in anticipation of delivery, and the best time to return after. Will she need to repeat a grade or she can catch up? Can she choose to take a whole year out? How can the community support her?
P.S. Zimbabwe is a secular state, and as for culture, remember we used to condemn twins as an abomination, and kill them at birth.
