Pamela T Munyoro
Zimbabwe (News of The South) – The number of pupils who fell pregnant during the lockdown is immensely huge and Bulawayo has recorded the highest number so far and this is of great concern.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education, Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga visited a couple of schools in Bulawayo and she highlighted that it has a relatively high number of pupils who fell pregnant during the lockdown.
This is worrying because of how students will be forced to quit or skip school and writing of exams due to pregnancy complications and lack of knowledge on how they should handle this situation if they want to continue with school.
In the recents years back, pregnant girls were not allowed to sit for class but with the renewal of Acts in the parliament pregnant girls are no longer being expelled from school, rather they are now encouraged to finish school as this might have happened unwillingly.
Presenting the National Budget last week, the minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mthuli Ncube said,
“the government now allows non- exclusion of pregnant girls in schools and to ensure observance of this provision, psycho-social support will be enhanced at schools,”
This is a progressive way of handling matters as a country as we say no to any form of discrimination against the girl child.
According to Mpilo Central Hospital statistics, children aged 12-16 now account for about 30% deliveries.
More has to be done for these young girls as pregnancy at a younger age has its own complications.
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