DROPPING of pregnant student policy in schools needs to stop and sex education must be intensified instead to provide them a brighter future, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said.
Briones, who is known as a staunch advocate of Reproductive Health (RH) Law, chided the schools for expelling pregnant students, which clouded their future instead of building them.
"In public schools, it may not be a policy to kick out students, but there are schools which automatically drop out young students who get pregnant, and automatically also destroy their lives. And this is where the enrichment comes in," Briones said.
She pointed out that early pregnancy “does not necessarily a sign of immorality. There are more immoral acts than getting pregnant at 17-years-old."
She said a pregnant student has “a right to be treated humanely.”
"And the stigma that is attached, that is what should be corrected, because sex education is already in the curriculum," Briones said.
She cited a 22 percent rate of young mothers who do not proceed back to school.
She also revealed her curriculum plan includes making sex education as an independent subject and no longer part of the science subject.
According to the United Nations Population Fund report, it shows that Philippines topped the regional list of Asian countries that continued to have the greatest number of teenage pregnancies in the last two decades.
It also said that one in 10 young Filipino women - between 15 and 19 years of age - is already a mother.
Factors that attributed to the soaring rate of teenage pregnancy include having multiple sexual partners as well as low condom use which cause the lack of proper education in terms of family planning methods.
Considering these factors, Briones vowed to enhance its program on sex education to combat rising cases of teenage pregnancy among students.
On the other hand, University of Southeastern Philippines (Usep) president Dr. Lourdes Generalao said that the university follows RA 9710 (Magna Carta for Women), which is geared to empower and protect women, and ensure equal rights and opportunities for men and women.
“Though I received reports na meron nagda-drop kasi hindi kaya ang academic pressure & sometimes nahihiya ng pumasok. On the latter, University Guidance and Testing Office provides counseling based on the referral from the college,” Generalao said on a chat on Monday, August 8.
“Also, our clinic provides check up for pregnant students. Our university doctor is an Obstetrician,” she added.
Generalao, however, said that the school policy should also be observed.
“Personally, I don't want pregnant students to be dropped from the rolls. However, policies have to be looked into as to the consequence of their long absence in class.” (JCR)