The Post NDOLA GIRL, 10 FALLS PREGNANT A 10-YEAR-OLD girl of Ndola’s Kaloko area has been forced out of school by her parents after discovering that she is pregnant. Kaloko ward councillor Vincent Mulenga confirmed the development in an interview yesterday and said that parents to the girl were refusing to disclose who impregnated her. “Kaloko residents two weeks ago brought a complaint to me and told me that a 10-year-old girl had been impregnated but that the parents to the girl want to protect the man who did it. So I made an effort of going to the house and I found the pregnant girl but the parents refused to tell me who impregnated her. But as ward councillor and a parent, I have taken it upon myself to report the matter to the police,” he said. He said it was sad that a girl at a tender age could be pregnant and her childhood cut short because of a man who is being protected by her parents. “This girl is no longer going to school. This girl is too small to even deliver the baby; she might even die during delivery. This is a serious matter and her parents should be brought to book because they are protecting a criminal. I am going to the police right now,” he said. Meanwhile, Mansa’s Kombaniya Primary School guidance teacher Lupiya Kayuni says cases of pregnancies among the pupils have continued to rise at the school. In an interview on Monday, Kayuni said this year alone the school had recorded seven cases of pregnancies. Kayuni said the affected pupils were aged between 14 and 16. She said five pregnant pupils were in grade seven while the other one was in grade nine. “Last year the school recorded a total of six pregnancies,” Kayuni said. She said pupils’ performance was in jeopardy. She said most parents of the affected girls were not reporting about the pregnancies until the school just makes its own findings. “It is sad that many parents are not taking care of their children resulting in child pregnancies, a vice that negatively affects the development of the girl-child hence the need for change of attitude by the parents and guardians,” Kayuni said. She attributed the development to lack of parental care. “With the introduction of re-entry policy, most parents are reluctant to control the behaviour of their children. They believe that there is always a second chance for their daughters,” said Kayuni. And ZNUT Luapula Province organising committee secretary, Andrew Chibanga, said teachers and parents must work together to reduce illicit behaviour among the pupils. Chibanga said teachers and parents should blend and educate the children on the dangers of engaging in illicit activities. “This is not only the responsibility of teachers; parents are also expected to practically play their role of teaching their children on morals that are generally accepted by the society,” said Chibanga.
Posted on: Thu, 15 May 2014 09:22:04 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015