Teenage pregnancy hits Clarendon school

The guardian of a female student enrolled at a Clarendon-based high school is mulling over whether to transfer her from the institution as she fears that the child may end up pregnant like some of her schoolmates.

Mary* said she was given a letter to attend a meeting at the school recently after the child was deemed to have been disruptive. She said that she was shocked to find out that there were a number of students at the institution who were expectant.

"Di teacher say a five pickney dem find inna di school pregnant, from first form guh right up," she told THE STAR.

Explaining that her niece is 14 years old, Mary said her niece has fallen in with bad company, and is fearful that she too may become a pregnant teen.

"Di pickney dem bad up deh and she start lick head wid dem, and mi nuh want she get belly before time. She nuh ready fi nuh man nor nuh pickney, a har book alone she fi tek up," Mary said.

When the STAR contacted the Clarendon-based school principal, he said he was not aware of the matter. He said the guidance counsellor would have updated him.

Vendolyn Cameron, the commanding officer for the Clarendon Police Division, said the police were probing two cases of pregnancy among teenage schoolgirls in the parish.

*Name changed