To make matters worse, many of the kids born by the school dropouts
end up as street children because their parents cannot afford paying for
their up keep and education.
A lawyer with the Child Rights Forum Mr. Jones John challenged policy
makers to address the situation because it has led to escalating
problems for the youth and the society in general.
He made the remarks during a training workshop on upbringing of the
adolescents and the youth. The event was sponsored by the Nairobi-based
non-governmental organization in collaboration with Mkombozi Children's
Centre of Moshi.
Mr. John said it was pity that school girls become mothers at a young
age, forcing them out of school and without any future life prospects
because in most cases those who made them pregnant would abandon them.
He added that although in principle the government has agreed to
re-admit to school girls who become pregnant after delivery, practically
this has not been the case because such girls shied away from schools.
"They have failed to return to schools because as mothers they cannot
abandon their kids and other domestic responsibilities", he pointed
out.
However, the legal expert said NGOs and other civil society
organizations have the responsibility to address the problem, adding
that this should include devising better methods to enable under age
mothers to continue with education without necessarily reporting back to
their former schools.
The social welfare officer with the Moshi Municipal Council Ms Agnes
Urassa called on the parents to talk to their children on reproductive
health and how to avoid getting pregnant while still in school
