Govt to boost breastfeeding centres for teen mothers

DODOMA: THE government has said that it is intensifying efforts to have a conducive environment at all breast-feeding centres of teenage mothers who returned back to school after their studies got interrupted by pregnancy.

Deputy Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Omar Kipanga revealed the plan in the august House yesterday when responding to a supplementary question posed by Special Seats legislator, Najma Giga (CCM).

In her question, the MP wanted to know the government’s plans to ensure that the teen mothers who are now back to school are getting time to breast feed their babies at centres located at schools or near their schools.

The MP also advised the government to allow the teen mothers to remain at home for two years before returning back to school so that they can breast feed their babies.

In response, Mr Kipanga said that the government had received the advice and that it will go and make an assessment before deciding on how to go about it.

Available statistics show that a total of 22,844 girls who dropped out of school due to pregnancies are now back to school, thanks to President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s directives in 2021.

The Deputy Minister recently told the House that out of these, 5,142 are listed in the formal primary and secondary education system, while the remaining 17,702 are in the informal system.

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Mr Kipanga was responding to a question posed by Special Seats lawmaker, Ms Fatma Tawfiq (CCM), who wanted to know the exact number of girls who have so far returned back to school since the government issued the Government Notice No 2 of 2021, allowing school dropouts due to pregnancy to go back to school after giving birth.

“By considering the importance of education to school girls, the government continues supervising the implementation of the said notice by ensuring that girls who dropped out of school due to pregnancies resume school, so that they can realise their dreams,’’ he said.

In the notice issued in 2021, the government decided that all students dropping out of school for various reasons should get the opportunity to return to school.

“As per the guidelines, teen mothers studying in the informal system are allowed to breast feed their babies at their respective centres,” the Deputy Minister informed the House yesterday.