-Teenage Pregnancy at Kean High

By Amber Smith

As of December 2012, there were two girls known to be pregnant at Kean High. There were approximately five girls pregnant at the beginning of the school year of 2012-2013. So that means that there were three new mothers this fall.

Being pregnant and attending school full time is not easy. When asked what problems she faced as a pregnant student, a 17-year-old senior said, “I missed too much work and I get tired too fast, especially having to walk up the ramp and stairs to get to my first class.”

An 18-year-old senior said, “I come to school tired, and I miss a lot of work, and there is no one to help me with my stuff.”

A 16-year-old junior said, “My teachers give a lot of work, and not all of them cooperate with me.”

Another problem all three students mentioned was the lack of a school nurse. Since the school nurse retired last school year, the students said when they are not feeling well, they went the office where someone called their parents to take them home. When we had a nurse, she gave them tea and let them rest.

All the girls agreed that it does not feel good to be pregnant in school, but it happened, and there is nothing they could do about it. They also said that their friends were careful with what they told them and how they said anything to them, because they didn’t want to make them upset or cry.

Pregnant girls are allowed to stay in school until they are ready to give birth. When they leave school to give birth, they are supposed to stay out for six weeks because they are not supposed to lift anything heavier than ten pounds, besides their child.

The 17-year-old senior said she stayed out of school for four weeks after she gave birth. The 16-year-old junior stayed out for about six weeks, and the 18-year-old has been out for approximately three weeks now.

The pregnant students get work to take home from the teachers who are willing to give them work. (Most of the teachers are.) The girls are supposed to have a semester to make up the work, but deadlines are now unclear because the new grading system does not currently allow grades to be recorded as incomplete.

When asked what more can be done for the pregnant students Principal Dr. McCollum said, "We can have individuals come to speak to them, and make sure they go to the doctor."

When asked the same question, Ms. Dias from the Main Office said, "We can give them condoms and educate them."

The girls must wear a maternity dress as soon as the principal or anyone in the office finds out, or when they are three months pregnant. They may be given extra time if they have an economic situation. Most girls don’t want to wear them because they don’t want to bring attention to their condition.

A 17-year-old senior said, “I know many girls that dropped out of school because they got pregnant, but that doesn’t make sense, because they have to support the child, and in order to do so, they need an education to get a job.”