Govt revamps policy on pregnant schoolgirls

THE Ministry of Education is overhauling its School Policy on Learner Pregnancy to include ‘tough punishment’ for those who impregnate schoolgirls.

Deputy Minister of Education David Namwandi would not say what the punishment would be, but told The Namibian yesterday that the review will be completed during the course of this year. Namwandi’s response comes a few days after a weekly newspaper reported that more than 6 000 girls between the ages of 10-19 had fallen pregnant in the Kavango Region since 2010.’We have decided to look into this Learner Pregnancy Policy because when you look at it, most often, these children are being impregnated by caretakers, teachers, uncles, leaders in society and the likes. I can assure you, mechanisms are being put in place to ensure that whoever impregnates a child is punished,’ Namwandi warned.Data from the Ministry of Education reveals that out of all Namibia’s 13 regions, the Kavango has recorded the highest teenage pregnancies since 2008. In second place is Ohangwena, followed by Omusati in third place.A total of 352 cases of teenage pregnancies were recorded in the Kavango in 2008. This number increased to 382 in 2009, and in 2010 stood at 390. A summary of a report on pregnancy in the Kavango for the first quarter of 2011 revealed that 119 schoolgirls dropped out of school because of pregnancy between January and April that year. The New Era newspaper last year reported that of the 119 pregnant girls, three were in Grade four, 12 in Grade five and 10 in Grade six.Shambyu Traditional Authority chief councillor at the time, Mutero Sikerete, was quoted as calling on the government, traditional leaders, the church, health workers, educators and policymakers to find a lasting solution to reduce teenage pregnancies. Furthermore, the Ohangwena Region recorded 294 teenage pregnancies in 2008, 286 in 2009 and 231 in 2010. In Omusati, there were 165 teenage pregnancies in 2008, 254 in 2009 and 238 in 2010. The region with the lowest reported teenage pregnancies since 2008 is Omaheke.Data from the education ministry also shows that in 2008, more than 1 400 students dropped out of school because of pregnancy countrywide. This increased to over 1 700 students in 2009. In 2010, the ministry reports that the number came down to just over 1 500. Namwandi stressed that pupils need to be educated about the dangers of pregnancy at such a young age. ‘Learners need to be educated in order to understand the dangers that come with getting pregnant. It is important to know that pregnancy comes with the risk of contracting deadly viruses and diseases. We need to educate our people in order to put a stop to this type of loose living. And we all have a role to play, from the students themselves, to churches, civil society, parents, and the police,’ he said. He also reiterated that pregnant teenage girls will be allowed to stay in school until they are about to give birth. ‘We should let these girls continue with their education. We cannot afford to terminate their future at an early stage,’ he said.Rachel Coomer of the Gender Research and Advocacy Project at the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) told The Namibian that a key factor contributing to teenage pregnancies is a lack of consistent information for students to make informed decisions about whether or not to have sex, and if they choose to have sex, how to access contraceptives. ‘Our recent study on the attitudes and options of young people showed that young people want to know more information about this area. There needs to be far more openness about contraceptives and sex. Young people need to be fully informed so that they can make sensible choices,’ she said.Coomer said the LAC has been working with the Ministry of Education since 2008 to develop a new policy to address the incidence of teen pregnancy. ‘We believe that it is important that a progressive, practical and realistic response is taken to help address the problem. The new policy will do just that. It has a strong focus on prevention but it also has a flexible approach to pregnancy when it does happen,’ she said.The LAC says the problem of teenage pregnancy is a major concern in most African countries. ‘Teenage pregnancy has been cited as a constraint in the elimination of gender disparities in education, and in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals of universal primary education and gender equality in education by 2015,’ the LAC states on its website. It further says that children born to educated mothers have a higher chance of enrolling and completing school. ‘Children of less educated mothers are unlikely to complete school. Thus, the concern about improving the educational rights of girls who become pregnant is based in part on the knowledge that this will affect the fate of their children and future generations.’