Katavi RC warns teachers having love affairs with students
KATAVI Regional Commissioner (RC) Ms Mwanamvua Mrindoko has warned teachers who have sexual relationship with their students.
She told reporters here in municipality that anyone who will impregnate a school girl will face the full force of laws.
It is not acceptable for a teacher of either gender to have a sexual relationship with any student. It is unethical, immoral, and grounds for dismissal, she said.
“Worse still some school teachers are making love with standard five, six and seven pupils and some in secondary schools. That is against moral value, ethics and teaching professionalism,” she warned.
“I have report that some school teachers have gone further to help school girls they have impregnated to do abortion and while some have decided to marry them. This is not acceptable and law must take its course against them,” she said.
The RC urged school girls to avoid sexual relationship with their teachers noting that the rate of teen pregnancy and forced marriage is worrisome.
“Adolescent girls must shun from engaging in intimate relationships because they will end up being impregnated and subsequently shuttering their dreams… I’m also urging them to refuse being married at tender age,” she emphasised.
She further explained that teenage pregnancy remains a big challenge for the region calling for participatory parenting to enhance child up bringing while children are waiting to join Form One next year.
“About 19,052 pupils in the region have written PSLE between October 5th and 6th this year among them girls are 10,176 while boys are 8,876″ said the RC.
While in Katavi Region July last year Vice-President Dr Philip Mpango called for action to end teenage pregnancy and forced marriage in the region and countrywide.
He made the remarks on July 24th last year when attending holy mass service at the Virgin Mary Mkingiwa Catholic Church in Mpanda municipality.
The VP said the government has made tremendous progress in health, education and social service delivery in the country but in spite of the progress made, adolescent girls remain vulnerable segment of the population.
According to the 2015/16 Demographic Health Surveys (TDHS) one in four adolescent girls aged 15 -19 in Tanzania has begun childbearing and 27 per cent have given birth, and an additional six per cent are pregnant with their first born.
The survey shows that the percentiles of teenage girls, who had babies or were pregnant was 26 per cent in 2005/06 after which, it deceased to 23 per cent in 2010, then increased to 27 per cent in 2015/16.
The same survey shows that Katavi has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the country, with 45 per cent of teenage girls aged 15-19 becoming pregnant.
