"It's hard to raise a child when you're still a child."
A Pregnant Teenager and the Public Schools
Our current system of public education does not stigmatize teenage mothers, as it used to do. They are not told to leave high school for a time and "come back after childbirth" and we'll-pretend-nothing-happened. Nowadays pregnant teenagers attend school all the way until their due date, and then after they give birth they attend special schools where they receive free child care and other special services that are expensive to provide. In effect, the system spends lots of money to ensure that being a teenage mother does not mean the end of one's education.
But, in effect, does it contribute to teenage pregnancy? Does the system (either consciously or unconsciously) tell young woman that is it OK to get pregnant so young? Contribute to teenage pregnancies?
And if it does, would you be in favor of withdrawing these expensive educational services for pregnant mothers? Why? EXPLAIN!
Please post your response to this question by the beginning of period 6 on Monday April 20th, 2009.
"Reducing teen pregnancy and birth is one of the most effective ways of reducing child poverty in the country."
Jordan Brown
