Garcia hopes for end to teenage pregnancies

Education Minister Anthony Garcia yesterday hoped for the day there will be no teenage pregnancies in schools. In expressing this hope, Garcia told senators efforts being undertaken by the ministry have resulted in the number of teenage pregnancies in schools being reduced. Responding to a question in the Senate, Garcia said among the programmes being used to educate young people about this issue are the good touch/bad touch and Carnival safety initiatives.

He explained good touch/bad touch targets primary schools and is held annually in January and February. The minister said students are also given information “on what to do if they experience a bad touch.” Garcia said the Carnival safety initiative covers primary and secondary school students. Through this initiative, Garcia said students learn about how to be vigilant against situations which could lead to transmission of sexual diseases and teenage pregnancies.

Later in the sitting, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young said over 10,000 child rights books have been distributed to primary schools as part of a series of initiatives to protect children from emotional and physical abuse. Young identified the recruitment of additional staff for the Children’s Authority, 200,000 anti-child abuse text messages with contact numbers being sent to mobile devices and ongoing radio, tv and newspaper advertisements on child abuse as some of the other initiatives being used.