Tanzania President says teen mothers will not be allowed back in school but can learn sewing or farming

Tanzania President John Magufuli, during a three day tour of the coast region addressed residents of the Bagamoyo where he accused foreign agents of influencing the civil society organisations to urge the government to permit teen mothers to re-enter the education system. 

He stated that allowing the teen mothers back to school is encouraging other teens to engage in pre-marital sex. 

He also said the man who impregnates these teen girls should be imprisoned for 30 years and put the energy he used to impregnate the girl into farming while in prison, The East African reports. 

President John Magufuli said there are many things that the girls can do after delivery. 

“They can join VETA (Vocational Education Training Authority centres) and learn sewing and farming. 

“If we were to allow the girls back to school, one day we would find all girls in Standard One going home to nurse their babies. After getting pregnant, you are done,” he said. 

Some NGOs that have been advocating for girls’ rights to education have been urging the government to formulate a legal framework that would allow teenage mothers to resume studies after giving birth. 

Addressing a press conference, HakiElimu executive director John Kalage noted that early pregnancy as result of underage sex was among the factors that made schoolgirls fail to finish their studies. 

The Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance (CHRAGG) and the Social Service and Community Development Parliamentary Committee as well as the opposition camp in Parliament also joined the fray to allow teen mothers back to school.