A PATRIOTIC Front (PF) official in Mwense of  Luapula  Province has appealed to the girl-child and parents to refrain from abusing the education re-entry policy.
District party secretary Besa Kafwimbi said most girls are taking advantage of the re-entry policy by becoming pregnant several times.
Mr Kafwimbi said since the introduction of the re-entry policy, most girls had been engaging in illicit sexual activities and falling pregnant persistently.
He said some pupils fell pregnant more than three times and are re-admitted into schools, thereby portraying a bad picture to other pupils.
“The policy was well intended, but it has been abused by most girls and parents. They have taken advantage of it, they will fall pregnant today, tomorrow they are re-admitted, they become pregnant again, they are taken back to school and the tendency continues just like that,” he said.
He called on the Ministry of Education to revise the policy and ensure that it served the intended purpose.
In a related development, Luapula Province Basic Education Teachers Union of Zambia (BETUZ) deputy chairperson Angel Musonda bemoaned the lack of guidance and counselling component in most schools.
Mr Musonda said guidance and counselling elements in schools had been neglected resulting into indiscipline among some pupils.
“This component is very important in schools. We do not have well qualified guidance and counselling teachers in schools. It has been neglected. You can’t expect pupils to behave properly,” he said.
He said unless the component was revamped, schools would continue experiencing  indiscipline and illicit engagements by the pupils. ZANIS