Secondary Education Minister gives new guidelines on handling pregnancy in schools

By Amina Hilda

The Minister of Secondary Education, Prof Nalova Lyonga, has given new guidelines to her collaborators on how to handle students who get pregnant.

Her directives are the content of an internal note addressed to Divisional Delegates, Regional Delegates, Education Secretaries and Principals.

According to Minister Nalova, the dismissal of pregnant students rather enhances discrimination and causes girls to drop out of school.
She has thus directed school authorities to allow pregnant students in schools till the 26th week, after which they may be granted maternal leave.

The students, she further wrote , will be given permission to resume studies after meeting health and disciplinary procedures.

The Minister also indicated that the same measures will be applied in case the author of a pregnancy is a male student. For teachers who get students pregnant, the minister’s note rather calls for sanctions.

The decision puts an end to a prescription regarding school pregnancies that had been in place since 1980. In the meantime, the Cameroonian public has been reacting to the decision differently. It should be noted that, the document dated April 26th only leaked to the public yesterday.

Mimi Mefo Info