Call to reverse ban on pregnant girls at school

A COALITION of 25 Tanzanian civil society organisations have called on President John Magufuli to change his position that pregnant schoolgirls not be allowed to return to school to continue their education.

Last week, President Magufuli told a rally that, in accordance with Tanzanian law, mothers do not belong in school. “After getting pregnant, you are done,” he said.

The organisations said that pregnant schoolgirls were neither immoral nor criminal and that, in fact, it was the father of the children who needed to be punished.

“Young girls face more challenges in accessing education than young boys, even without the question of expulsion for pregnancy,” they said.

“Most of these young girls have already suffered.”