This archive report was first published on 14 September 2019.
Published on September 14, 2019, a bill before Parliament in Kenya proposes to jail school heads who refuse to readmit teenage girls who drop out of school due to pregnancy.
The Kenya Secondary Schools' Heads Association has opposed the bill, citing concerns that it would be ill-advised to punish school heads for the mistakes made by learners.
According to Kahi Indimuli, the chair of the association, principals have always supported students who become pregnant and cannot be subjected to punishment for the mistakes made by learners.
Indimuli argued that readmitting students to the same school could create the impression that the institution condones teenage pregnancies.
Under the proposed Care and Protection Bill 2019, headteachers who refuse to readmit the girls would face a six-month jail term or a fine of up to Sh500,000.
The bill also proposes to punish parents who refuse to send their daughters back to school after delivery, as well as school management board members who refuse to readmit the girls.
Indimuli emphasized that principals should not be condemned for the failure of parents to follow up with their children, and that they have been helping such girls to get admitted in different schools so that they study without victimization.
