Teen pregnancies are being fuelled by failures at home, in school and in the wider community, according to Philip Etale, who argues that parents have left too much of the burden to teachers.
Etale says the problem is not limited to exam season, even though public attention often rises when national tests are underway. In his view, the cases happen throughout the year but only draw wider concern when the country is focused on school matters.
He points to poverty, limited sex education and weak discipline at home as major drivers. He also says many children spend long days away from their parents, leaving little room for counselling or meaningful conversation about the risks of early sex.
According to Etale, girls are especially exposed in coastal towns such as Kilifi and Kwale, border towns including Busia, Malaba and Namanga, and lakeside towns such as Kisumu, Homa Bay and Migori. He links that vulnerability to contact with people from different cultures and backgrounds, as well as to the pressures facing young girls in those areas.
He also says some girls are targeted by wealthy men, while some teachers abuse their positions. Etale cites the arrest of a head teacher who allegedly eloped with his former pupil after she sat her KCPE exam this year, describing such incidents as common.
He further refers to a television report from Bungoma that highlighted primary school girls who had been impregnated and left in the care of poor parents. In his account, some men lure girls into bushes with promises before assaulting them, leaving families to deal with the consequences.
Etale says sex education should be taught both at home and in school, and that parents must make time for direct conversations with their children. He argues that father-son and mother-daughter talks could help protect girls from abuse, embarrassment and early pregnancy.
Director of communications, ODM
@Etalephilip
