The caution comes on the back of a survey by the National Service Personnel Association in the Central Region, which concluded that some male students of UCC were engaging young girls in the University community in “sex for money” activities.

[contextly_sidebar id=”TmVR5eFkXD5yepLxt3RHnPzzbteULDzZ”]The Regional Director of the Department of Gender in the Central Region, Thywill Eyram Kpeh, explained that actions taken by the department will help reduce the rising cases of teenage pregnancies in the region, especially within the University community.

“We need parents, we need community leaders to be able to inform us, to tell us what is going on in their community to report such cases to DOVVSU. I believe they will take steps to apprehend any man who does that. We also need to get the girls to understand that if a man impregnates you and you are below 16 and you are impregnated by a student and you are not able to speak out whiles that student is on campus, when that student leaves, the burden of poverty, the burden of catering for that child becomes your headache. “

The practice by some of these male students in the University has contributed to rise in teenage pregnancy and child prostitution in Cape Coast and its adjoining communities, where several children are also school dropouts due to extreme poverty.

In a house-to-house interaction with some youth by personnel of NASPA to ascertain why the children engage in prostitution and the measures to curb the act, some teenagers located in Apewosika and Amamoma blamed the male students of UCC for going round and sleeping with girls in the community in exchange for money, hence the rampant teenage pregnancy and prostitution in the area

About 5,106 teenage pregnancies were recorded in the Central Region between July and December 2016.

Out of this, 430 were aged between 13 and 15, while the remaining 4,682 pregnancies were recorded among 16 and 19.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post We’ll prosecute UCC students impregnating teenagers – Gender Dept. appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to some teachers at the school, they were acting on a directive to prevent all pregnant students from taking part in the exams.

[contextly_sidebar id=”JgLUwrS37lMi75m34dnVmbYhAR96nx0S”]The victim, Cecilia Awuni, who was to complete her course on Friday, May 12, 2017 was asked by authorities to go home and return to the school next academic year to complete her program.

The action by the school authorities appears to be against the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s guidelines which clearly does not indicate that pregnant students be sacked.

Possible lawsuit

Meanwhile, Francis Xavier Sosu, lawyer for the victim has hinted of plans to hurl the school before court for the action.

According to him, although the Nursing and Midwifery Training Council is making arrangements for Mrs. Awuni to write her supplementary papers, a formal decision is yet to be communicated to them and his outfit is bent on ensuring that the rights of his client are protected.

“This matter has come to the attention of the Midwifery Council and the council is making the arrangement for her to be able to write her supplementary exams and we welcome that but that has not yet been formally communicated to us.

“I have instruction from my client to issue a writ for the enforcement of her right not be discriminated against under  33 of the 1992 constitution and order 67 CI 47 so we are taking a number steps to make sure that her rights are protected.”

The school has become notorious for turning away pregnant students when they arrive at examination centers to write their exams. Last year, it gained media attention when it sacked some students for being pregnant and denied them the opportunity to write their exams.

Lawyer Xavier-Sosu who again represented those students described it as a”worrying trend”.

“We are surprised that this matter is recurring. It is recurring because some of the principals who do not understand right matters and secondary midwifery councils are not punishing principals who violate the directive to allow these students to write,” he said.

He threatened that if the principal of the school is not appropriately sanctioned, his outfit will be forced to resort to the Human Rights division of the High Court to seek a declaration that, the supposed policy that barred pregnant students of Nursing and Midwifery Colleges from taking part in examinations was unconstitutional and violates the human rights of such students.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Pregnant nursing student barred from writing exams appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.