Teachers in Central Region noted for impregnating students - Regional Director

It has been established that male teachers in both primary and second cycle institutions in the Central Region play a key role in the rising number of teenage pregnancies in the Central Region as they are reported to be engaging in unprotected sex with adolescent girls.

According to the Central Regional Director of the Department of Gender, Mrs. Thywill Eyra Kpe data collected from 5,112 adolescent girls on who was responsible for their pregnancies indicated that 986 were small-scale farmers 676 drivers, 3 97 and small-scale miners.

She added that 353 were employed men, 301 were primary and secondary school teachers as well as 1,015 boys between 13-19 years adding that a research conducted by the Ghana Health Service revealed that the region in 2016 recorded 12,408 pregnancies with 231 below 14 years.

Following the alarming spate of teenage pregnancies in the Central Region, the regional Department of Gender, (DoG), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has supported the DoG on male dialogue to champion the fight against teenage pregnancy.

In view of this, the Central Regional Department of Gender in collaboration with the Central Regional Coordinating Council organized the male dialogue at Apam with leaders of the identifiable groups on their roles in addressing the situation.

The male dialogue was under the theme ” Ending adolescent pregnancy and Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV)/in the Central Region: The role of Men” where participants were drawn from Ewutu Senya East, Gomoa and Cape Coast Metropolis to educate them on the legal implications of SGBV and impregnating children especially those below 16 years.

Mrs. Eyra Kpe also stated that SGBV is another challenge in the region as result Central Regional Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit ( DOVVSU), has also recorded 2,668 cases of defilement.

She noted that more than 80% of the violence recorded were against women and girls hence there is the need for targeted advocacy to get men as partners and advocates in addressing these tissues among their cohorts.

The Principal Investigator of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Mr. Tetteh Tuwor called on parents especially mothers to desist from giving off their daughters to early marriage leading many young and single mothers who cannot manage their themselves much more raise responsible children.

The Central Regional Assistant Secretary of Ghana National Association of Teachers ( GNAT), Mr. Nicholas Taylor was shocked on hearing reports that his colleagues' teachers are indeed impregnating students and asked all the school heads to sack or sanction any teacher who will impregnate his student to serve as a deterrent to others.