The Sunday News
Lungile Tshuma, Sunday News Correspondent
SECONDARY school boys who impregnate fellow pupils will be forced to go on three months paternity leave and only resume their studies when their female counterparts return to school.
After getting pregnant, girls were initially being expelled but this was later changed as they can now return to school after delivering.
Although the move was generally viewed as positive because it allowed girls to continue with their education, gender activists felt it was unfair as boys would continue with their studies yet the girls would be at home.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has since responded to the need to balance both parties by introducing paternity leave at school.
Addressing Matabeleland North chiefs during a meeting on the state of child marriages in the province, Matabeleland North deputy provincial education director Mr Jabulani Mpofu said both boys and girls were now treated equally in cases of pregnancy.
“As the ministry we have developed many measures to protect the girl child. Some teachers have developed a tendency of looking down upon the girl child. Even when they are asking questions, they first ask boys and later ask girls to give it a try.
“That is wrong.This is the reason why at the moment in the ministry when a school boy impregnates his schoolmate, the girl no longer drops out of school to keep the child alone — both will be sent home. The boy will return to school on the same day with the girl.”
Mr Buhe Ndebele, the national gender co-ordinator at Plan International, a child rights organisation, supported the move which he said is in the true spirit of equal rights.
“In view of the fact that the boy has impregnated his schoolmate, surely he should be sent home too and get time to raise the child. It will be unfair for the boy child to be going to school while the girl child is waiting to deliver at home.
“The girl will be left behind and for the benefit of both parties they should be sent home to concentrate on raising their child,” said Mr Ndebele.
A recent study on the plight of teen pregnancies by Professor Chipo Chirimuuta, a lecturer at Zimbabwe Open University, concluded that during teen pregnancies, female pupils had unique needs that had to be streamlined.
The research further noted that adequate measures needed to be in place to help girls who will be readmitted to school as in most cases they perform dismally.
Musasa Project public relations officer Mrs Patience Chiyangwa said the Government, through signing the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child in July 1990, took full responsibility of ensuring that the girl child gets proper education after delivering.
The charter, she says, holds Government to “take all appropriate measures to ensure that children who become pregnant before completing their education shall have an opportunity to continue their education on the basis of their individual ability”.
Parents also praised the move and called for counselling measures to be taken so as to assist pupils as they continue with their education.
National Association of School Development Associations and Committees president Mr Xolisani Dlamini said:
“The move was well thought out because as parents we all expect our pupils to be treated equally. When boys impregnate girls, both have to face the same consequences.
“However, that should not be the last action to be taken. Government should move further and ensure that the children get counselling.”
