Sierra Leone News: Over 20 pregnant girls at Holy Ghost school in Segbwema

Sports

The Acting Principal of Holy Ghost Secondary School, in Segbwema, James Senesie Foday, said the school has recorded over 20 pregnancies of girls between 13 and 17 in the first term of school. He also noted the alarming rate of teenage pregnancy in the area. The school conducted a prize-giving ceremony over the weekend where the Acting Principal blamed parents for the high rate of teenage pregnancies in Segbwema. He explained that the frequent staging of disco dances and parents who allow their children to attend cinema centres are partly the cause of pregnancies. The Acting Principal revealed that the school authorities have engaged parents through the Community Teachers Association (CTA) in order to put a stop to the problem. But, he noted parents sometimes neglect their children and the problem. He said the school has a committee that checked and interviewed suspected pregnant girls every term and they’ve discovered over 20 students are now pregnant. It has been noted that this sort of examination of school-going girls is a clear violation of their rights and the practice has been condemned by the Ministry of Education. The Ministry, however, is sticking to their ban on pregnant girls attending school or writing public exams. As a Catholic Mission, pregnant girls will not be allowed in school to sit together with their colleagues. The boys are not punished. Pregnant girls are being blamed and shamed and denied their rights while the perpetrators and rapists are allowed to walk away scot-free. The girls are minors and statutorily incapable of consenting to sexual relations. In 2016, Amnesty International investigated the issue and launched a scathing report on the violations of girls rights, the inappropriateness of the Ministry’s position and the number of girls violated during Ebola and since. Currently, a group of civil society organizations have launched a case at the ECOWAS Court to challenge the ban on pregnant girls in classrooms. Since the Ebola crisis, a number of articles and cases have been brought to the Ministry but the former Minister of Education vowed not to allow pregnant girls in school. Hawa Lansana, a parent in Segbwema, said no parent is happy at the rate of which pupils are becoming pregnant. She said the exposure of children to pornographic films and the level of poverty are more likely responsible for the problem. She accepts the fact that some parents fear their children and some rely on their children to earn income. But, she noted these activities are harmful to the family. SM/22/5/18 By Saffa B. Moriba in Kenema Wednesday May 23, 2018.

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