The revelation that 104 school students fell pregnant in Fiji last year is shocking! It will leave a sour taste on many lips.
It’s not difficult to comprehend though that there is a certain level of acceptance of this turn of events.
You can blame whatever it is you want to, including the advent of the digital age, however, there clearly is a story here that goes past the boundaries of commonsense and acceptable behaviour.
But what is acceptable behaviour when the norm appears to accept a major shift in behaviour that leaves such shocking figures in its wake.
To some extent, sceptics will insist there is irresponsibility, and questions that will target our failure to create a level of awareness that should assist our children to make sound decisions that mean something for their future.
It is shocking that three of the students were primary schoolchildren.
This statistic is contained in the 2019 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (IDADAIT) activities report released by the Education Ministry recently.
However, as much as we would want to blame our children, we must wonder how we factor in the equation and how much we can do, or have done, to fight teenage pregnancies.
Are we doing enough to inculcate in our young charges awareness of the realities of teenage pregnancy, what it means, the impact on their lives, the demands on time, and possible limitations?
Are we appropriately dealing with this issue of sex education, enough so that we boost their appreciation of what it means, and the responsibility that comes with it?
Or are we simply just leaving our young to determine their future, with no desire, understanding of, or awareness of precautions?
The World Health Organization said in a report in January this year that an estimated 21 million girls aged 15-19 years in developing regions become pregnant and 12 million of them give birth.
At least 777,000 births, it stated, occur to adolescent girls younger than 15 years in developing countries.
It raised health concerns, and social and economic consequences.
The IDADAIT report highlights various sex-related activities prevalent among schoolchildren.
This understandably is a sad state of affairs. Our challenge though is putting in place measures that can contribute to fighting these issues.
How we factor that into our daily lives as parents, guardians, teachers and leaders is important.
The bigger picture should be about placing value on relationships, building an appreciation of the place our children can have in society and in our lives, and working together to instill a high level of self-esteem.
There also has to be an acceptance of the harsh realities of life now.
Clearly, we must take the first steps. This certainly isn’t going to be a walk in the park.
