Education Minister, Ronald Thwaites, has disclosed that at one public high school, some 15 per cent of girls are mothers.
He made the disclosure during an interview on The Gleaner’s online current affairs programme, On the Record.
He was giving an update on the process of reintegration of teen mothers in schools.
Thwaites did not name the school but said of the approximately 780 girls at the institution, 120 have at least one child.
He argues that the reintegration process works well when teen mothers present themselves at schools.
However, the education minister says the programme is experiencing problems in tracing some of the girls who drop out.
Meanwhile, the education minister is lamenting a cultural deficit as well as weak family structures which he says are helping to negatively influence young people.
He says more pressure is placed on schools to re-socialise children.
In 2013, Thwaites introduced a national policy for reintegration of school-aged mothers into the formal school system.
The policy makes it mandatory for schools to readmit or admit teenage mothers after they have given birth.
Pregnant high school students should be sent to alternative high school for girls and should not be readmitted into their regular high school. What message are we sending to the other girls at that high school?
Why is it that these girls are not practicing safe sex? Isn’t that taught in High School in Jamaica? Or are they want to get pregnant?
THE MESSAGE IS BABY NUH TAP YUH FROM LEARN AN HAVE AMBITION
thank you very much Poh Boi.
Thank you very much Poh Boi
More emphasis need fi place on di root cause….WHY DEM BREED IN DI FIST PLACE. It usually nuh work too well when di gate shet afta di horse gawn thru. Mis dus ah seh :travel