The Ministry of Education has decided to establish a comprehensive system of counseling and assistance to help unwed pregnant teenage students continue their studies, an official said yesterday.
"The ministry made the decision based on a report on various measures adopted by local schools to cope with high school student pregnancies," the official said, adding that the report was prepared by a local nursing college at the ministry's request.
According to the report, unwed teenage students have usually been forced to suspend their studies or drop out of school altogether after becoming pregnant.
"To help these unwed young mothers complete their high school education, the ministry is obliged to craft a comprehensive mechanism to offer counseling and necessary assistance," the official said.
In the first step, the official said, the ministry will contact major social welfare organizations dedicated to sheltering unwed teenage student mothers, such as the Catholic Cathwel Service and the Garden of Hope Foundation.
"We'll cooperate with private social welfare institutions in establishing an effective network to offer timely assistance to unwed pregnant teenage students," the official said.
According to the ministry's plan, the official said, the new system will not only help pregnant teenage students with prenatal care, but will also assist them in completing their education.
In the future, the official said, high school authorities will be required to contact the parents of teenage students who are found to be pregnant and ask them to give their children all the necessary support.
RSS