The 1663 Hotline has disclosed that teen pregnancies are now on the rise, while also urging the Ministry of Education to change its approach to dealing with the issue.
According to the 1663 Hotline operation, out of 10,870 people calling the center regarding unwanted pregnancies so far this year, 17.4% of them were females under 20 years of age.
A hotline analyst, Thitiporn Dontreepong, said the number is likely to increase further due to the lack of safe-sex education and access to proper protection.
The 1663 Hotline Chief Somwong Uraiwattana said today that schools are sometimes a problem. Some places have failed to keep the pregnancy under wraps while some simply expelled the pregnant student.
He wanted the Ministry of Education to develop a specific course of action to deal with teen pregnancies more effectively. Somwong added that it should be mandated that they can’t be expelled from school and that assistance be given to help them cope with the situation.
Suggestions and opinions on the matter will be collected and compiled into a report for the Ministry of Education for consideration.
It is inconceivable (no pun intended !) that a school would expel a girl for becoming pregnant. It is a highly emotional time for any young woman and making them feel an outcast is simply barbaric.
Better education in schools is obviously needed, for both boys and girls. They need to understand the impact of bringing a baby into the world, both on them and their whole families.
There is simply no excuse now as contraceptives for both sexes are readily available. Families who have gone through the experience could be asked to talk to students and explain how many lives and relationships can change with the arrival of an unplanned baby.
I would be more than happy to volunteer to talk about my own experience of having to take on the responsibility of looking after a grandchild late in life. It is no picnic !
(Source:-National News Bureau of Thailand)