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Second chance for teen mothers

Published:Sunday | March 2, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Sandrea Falconer (left), minister with responsibility for information, listens while Dr Zoe Simpson (right), executive director of the Women's Centre of Jamaica Foundation, speaks to teen mothers at the institution on January 30, during a tour of the centre. Also in the picture are Colette Roberts-Risden (second left), chief technical director in the Office of the Prime Minister, and Jacqueline Mendoza Ortega, Venezuelan Ambassador to Jamaica.-JIS Photo

Jermaine Francis, Staff Reporter

The Ministry of Education has embarked on a review of the Education Code to include a policy on the reintegration of school-age mothers into the formal education system.

Responding to questions posed by Opposition Senator Kamina Johnson-Smith, the ministry stated that the review process started last December and should be completed shortly.

The National Council on Education is spearheading the analysis, with the intent to amend the 1980 Education Regulations to facilitate the return of teenage mothers to the classroom after they have given birth.

The education ministry also reported that it has started an Early Detection Support and Intervention (EDSI) programme to offer counselling and psycho-social support to these young mothers.

"Personnel in public schools, along with nurse supervisors and nurse practitioners of health centres, have been trained in all regions to respond to the general psychosocial and sexual reproductive health needs of students," the ministry said in its response.

The ministry added that a multi-sectoral approach would be adopted to help student mothers get the help they need.

"The permanent secretary will be meeting with the permanent secretaries of seven relevant ministries in a bid to establish [a] memorandum of understanding for collaborating to operate a Student Support Network."

PROMOTING ABSTINENCE

This multi-sectoral collab-oration is expected to have as its focus the prevention of teenage pregnancy, with emphasis on the promotion of abstinence.

The meeting between the ministries is scheduled for March 25.

A sexual and reproductive health-services programme is also being piloted in 56 schools. The piloting of this project is scheduled to end in December, with full implementation slated for September 2015.

Last year, Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson revealed that 18 per cent of live births are occurring to teenage mothers. Ferguson also reported that at least 30 per cent of sexual encounters among teenagers was taking place without the use of contraceptives.