Schools to be banned from expelling pregnant students

New rules effective next year will ban all schools from expelling pregnant students and mandate new rules to encourage the girls to stay in class. (Photo provided)

Schools and higher education institutes will be prohibited from expelling pregnant students under a new ministerial regulation, which will take effect in April next year.

The Education Ministry's regulation was published in the Royal Gazette on Friday and will be enforced 180 days later.

The regulation was issued under the Act for Prevention and Solution of the Adolescent Pregnancy Problem. The regulation governs primary and high schools, vocational institutions and the providers of higher education programmes.

The key issue in the regulation lies in the prohibition of dismissing pregnant students from schools or higher education institutes.

Meanwhile, educational institutions are required to come up with a system to take care of pregnant students to ensure they would be able to continue their studies.

The institutes can grant a school break for pregnant students before and after they deliver babies in a suitable manner and they are required to adjust classes for them in line with their capability.

The facilities are required to arrange advisers to work with the parents of the pregnant students to give assistance and boost their understanding about how they live with others in the society.

In the case where it is necessary to send pregnant students to receive proper reproductive health services or welfare, the facilities must come up with a system to transfer these students to the places by contacting either relevant government agencies or service facilities for them.

Additionally, the institutes are obliged to provide sex education and other life skills that suit student ages, according to the regulation.

The education ranges from relationship, sexual behaviour and well-being to social and cultural aspects in relation to sex.

Students, meanwhile, would be educated about gender diversity and equality.

The regulation also obliges the facilities to follow up and appraise the achievement of their sex education.

Educational institutions are also required to employ teachers who have "appropriate" attitudes and teaching skills as well as an ability to understand the learning psychology of students. The idea is that they provide sex education and give suggestions on how to prevent or solve unwanted pregnancies among youth.