– Minister Baksh
EDUCATION Minister Shaik Baksh said recently that the programme to reintegrate teenage mothers into the school system, that started some 18 months ago, is still being executed. Speaking at a media briefing last month, he told reporters that the initiative is being facilitated by UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) and its local office will be issuing a report this year.

Mr. Baksh said, currently, a consultant is developing a framework to guide the successful implementation.

The Minister, early last year, initiated phase two of the scheme, which sought to sensitise the public about the importance of allowing girls who become pregnant while in school to continue their education.

Former Chief Schools Welfare Officer, Mrs. Yvonne Arthur, who spoke on the occasion in 2008, had urged parents to bond with their teenage daughters who became mothers in school to restore their self-esteem and avoid further degeneration in society.

She disclosed that the undertaking was because of the prevalence of the problem, which was well documented in a 2004 study done by UNICEF.

However, the programme has been the subject of debate among key education officials and, at one forum, former Assistant Chief Education Officer (ACEO), Primary, Mr. Nashrulla Khan pointed out that the idea was vehemently opposed by a number of headteachers.

He said they are of the view that bringing back teenage mothers into schools will mar the image of the institutions they attend.

But Assistant Chief Education Officer (ACEO), Secondary, Ms. Melcita Bovell, contended that, despite the negative society view of such reintegration, students must not be deprived of their constitutional right to a secondary education.
She argued that an educated mother will be better able to secure a respectable job, provide for her child and lead a life of recovery.