IT IS comforting to think that, as a society, we have moved on from the stifling days of moral censure and discrimination. But every so often there is a jolting reminder that we have yet to leave that era behind. This week we learned that a 16-year-old schoolgirl was denied a place in her local secondary school on the basis that she was pregnant. The principal refused, stating that the school did not accept “such girls” and would not become a “dumping ground for those rejected elsewhere”.
It is shocking that these attitudes persist in modern society. And it is equally disturbing to learn that the school itself was not, on the face of it, in breach of any law or guideline. That’s because the schools are not obliged by the Department of Education to have an admissions policy. This is despite official statistics which show there are about 700 pregnancies among girls of school-going age every year. In fact, the only relevant service offered by the department appears to be home tuition, which allows for a teacher to assist a student at home. In the end, the student and her mother felt compelled to contact the Ombudsman for Children for help.
Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn this week said the girl had encountered clear discrimination and that he plans to introduce legislation next year to put an enrolment policy framework on a statutory basis. It seems beyond belief that this doesn’t exist already. In the North, for example, there is strict official guidance around students who are pregnant or parenting. Support available from the education authorities there includes assistance from educational welfare officers, enforceable education plans and help with sourcing childcare.
Thankfully, support groups say that in the vast majority of cases principals and boards of management in this State are supportive of pregnant students. But this support is at the whim of individual schools. At official level there has been little interest in addressing these issues. Several support groups have been lobbying for years without success to convince Government to offer targeted childcare services for young women who wish to stay on in school during and after pregnancy.
For too long, schools have been regarded as independent fiefdoms which can set many of their own rules and guidelines. Schools with a religious ethos, for example, are among the few institutions in the State that are legally protected from discriminating against hiring teachers on the basis of their sexual orientation. Why is it that we tolerate this type of discrimination in State-funded schools that would be illegal in any other field of employment?
Mr Quinn’s recent pledges to address enrolment policies and discrimination of teachers are to be welcomed. We need firm policies that fully respect the rights of all students. We also need practical supports such as childcare to help keep pregnant teens in the education system. The sooner authorities take action, the better. The treatment of pregnant students should never be regarded as a school discipline issue. Pregnant students need support, not judgment.