Rejoinder: 17 senior high school students dismissed

This is in reference to a piece of article I read from Ghanaweb dated on March 1st 2011. The article indicated that 17 senior high school girls from Aduman Atigya Kwabre District of Ashanti Region, have been expelled from school due to the fact that they were all pregnant. I have pounded over this article over the last month and in fact, the details of the story have triggered my interest on the decision which was made by headmaster of the school. I know that talking about teenage pregnancy is a sensitive and a controversial issue, and I find that it is a major issue that concern and bother me as well as many parents at the same time. The headmaster's decision to terminate these girls from School makes it difficult to argue and find solutions to the issue. Well, does the headmaster think that dismissing the girls from school will serve as a deterrent to other girls? Or does he think that teenage pregnancy will go away by dismissing the girls from school?.

Do not get me wrong, I do not condone the fact that a teenage girl whose parent is looking out for her success or wellbeing will thrust herself into a situation which will affect her future for the rest of her life, but the question is, will expelling the girls from school solve the problem? Human rights activist and legal practitioner Nana Lithur Oye even said that expelling the girls from school infringes or violates their reproductive and health rights, yet this did not move the headmaster to change his decision, rather he said that such action was long over due. In essence he was adamant about his decision to terminate the girls from the school. The headmaster means that the law, which has been set by the law markers is not right, but his is right, meaning he has the power to do whatever he wants.......... Long overdue in this 21st Century world that we live in indeed.

Did the girls' pregnancy contravene any school policy? So why then must a teenage girl who gets in a family way be expelled from school? Why then must she not have the right to education? Why must she suffer from being sexually active? I think that expelling the girls from school devalue their education and makes them breeders. Again, the headmaster has striped them from their future goals and will make Ghanaians pay for his mistake which in his own opinion thinks that he has done the right thing. It also gives other girls the impression that abortion is okay. If any of the girls feel that it is not right for them to go to school with their pregnancy and they decide to withdraw from school then that's fine,; but then we still have to find ways to encourage them to go back to school. If after having their babies and they feel the need to go back to school that’s ok too. Again, all schools must have social workers in place where the students will be able to share their problems and seek solution or the answers they are looking for. The Ministry of Education must set up schools and programs that will meet the need of teenage girls who get pregnant while at school. Parents and the Ministry of Education must also find meaningful ways of supporting the teenage mothers and their babies. Whatever the case is they have made wrong choices and it does not warrant their dismissal from school. One thing I know is that if the babies and their mothers are not well cared for then the country becomes poverty stricken and less educated people. Let’s not forget that most of these girls are very bright and intelligent, and therefore they need not to be looked down upon as useless human beings. They can continue their education and become productive citizens of the country and even around the globe. Again, remember that most of these girls were exploited by older men for the sake of their own interests which, makes it very difficult for the girls to talk about. Instead, it leaves them without any choice but to carry on with the unwanted pregnancy, therefore, in cases like this they cannot talk about it or even mention it to their parents, and or guardians, because in their minds they will not be credible.

Source: Lucy Crentsil, Toronto, Canada, email: lcrentsil@gmail.com