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Pinda: Government to conduct census on schoolgirl pregrancies
2008-07-11 09:36:29
By Hannah Mwandoloma, Dodoma
The government will conduct a national wide census to get the accurate number of children who dropped out of school because of pregnancy.
Responding to questions from legislators yesterday, Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda told the House that the census would provide reliable statistics for use by the government to measure the scope of the problem for tangible solutions.
He was responding to a question posed by Suzan Lyimo (Special Seats-Chadema) who had wanted to know the measures that the government would take to solve the problem that has been increasing every year.
Lyimo had also wanted the government to look at the possibility of reducing the primary school starting age for girls to five years from the current of seven.
``It seems that girls grow up so quickly. I am of the view that if they start schooling at the age of five it will help them go through secondary education without getting into the current traps they are going through,`` Lyimo had said.
Responding, Pinda said taking a girlchild to start primary school at the age of five would not end the problem but would be shifting it to secondary school.
``It is a big problem to the country and parents too, but solving this problem will need both efforts of the government and the community. It is the responsibility of every citizen to make sure that such behaviours come to an end,`` Pinda said.
He said during a visit to Mbeya region he was shocked when he was shown statistics of 700 premature pregnancies in primary schools, adding that extra efforts were needed, including conducting a census to establish the magnitude of the problem.
However, Pinda said after getting the actual number of children who dropped out of schools because of pregnancies, the government would see if there is a need to review the current law.
Pinda also for the third time made a clarification on his earlier statement that Zanzibar was not a sovereign state.
He was responding to the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Hamad Rashid Mohammed (Wawi-CUF) who had wanted a fresh clarification of the matter in view of the two constitutions (that of the Union and Zanzibar).
``I have heard that my statement has risen confusion in the House of representatives in Zanzibar; but I want to say this again. That our Constitution states openly that there is the United Republic of Tanzania which is the mother law that guides us all together with that of Zanzibar which in one of the sections says that Zanzibar is a state,`` Pinda clarified.
PM said that when it comes to confusions like these, the only law that guided both sides was the mother law of the Union.
He said even though the constitution openly stated this, the matter could be presented to the Attorneys General (AG), Union government and that of Zanzibar for further clarifications.
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