10 May 2016

 The high rate of teenage pregnancy in schools in Bobirwa is a cause for concern for the Bobonong constituency leadership.

Speaking during the constituency leadership meeting on May 6, Member of Parliament for Bobonong Mr Shaw Kgathi expressed concern about the ballooning numbers of children that drop out of school due to teenage pregnancy.

Schools in the constituency he said from January to date have experienced a total of 39 dropouts which is 5 boys and 33 girls due to pregnancy.

Matshekge Senior Secondary School was the hardest hit with 13 girls, followed by Tsetsebye with 11 and Molalatau with seven, Gobojango and Mosetlha Junior Secondary Schools with four dropouts each.

Mr Kgathi, also Minister for Defence, Justice and Security, stated that he had instructed the police to investigate all cases of pregnancy in the area because many of such could have been defilement.

The MP appealed to his colleagues being councillors and tribal leaders to engage in a strong public education about this escalating issue of teenage pregnancy in Bobirwa schools.

Concerning the primary schools he said only one learner of Modisaotsile Primary School dropped but the average performance of primary schools in the inspectoral area stood at 83 per cent meeting the target of 80 per cent.

Primary schools in the area have  enrollment of 6 827 pupils of which 3 448 were girls while 3 393 were boys.

At secondary schools that was where the problems were being encountered, where performance was still lagging behind as indicated by first term results this year, he stated.

The national target is 60 per cent but only two schools from seven being Bobirwa and Mosetlha with pass rates of 71.9 and 68.8 per cent respectively have reached the target quantity, while the remaining five being Tsetsebye, Badale, Bobonong, Molalatau and Gobojango are still lagging behind.

About results at Matshekge senior school, the results were not pleasing as they continue to decline due to factors such as students’ lack of focus on education, truancy, teenage pregnancy, drug abuse and called all to join hands to fight teenage pregnancy.

Statistics showed that in 2013 alone, Matshekge lost 34 girls due to pregnancy and in addition  seven girls absconded while in 2014 there were 32 reported cases of pregnancy.

In 2015, there were 22 students that dropped out while three absconded while this year 13 girls dropped out while three have absconded, and stated that people outside were responsible for the pregnancy.

Apart from educational matters, Mr Kgathi said on the developmental issue Bobonong constituency was one of the area that received a larger share in the Economic Stimulus Programme and mentioned that projects that would be carried out through the programme included the upgrading of Bobonong Primary Hospital to 70 beds, upgrading Molalatau health post to a clinic, Malepane and Molalatau land servicing, construction of Independent Electoral Commission offices and many others in the Ministry of Health.

With a number of projects earmarked for the constituency, the MP encouraged  youth to take the lead in the programme so that they eradicate poverty and stimulate the economy of the Sub district. ENDS