School for pregnant teenagers being planned in New York
By ANIFriday, February 25, 2011
LONDON - Pregnant teenagers and pupils who already have babies may soon have a school of their own if plans of a secondary school in New York especially for them go through.
The New Directions high school would not only teach 300 boys and girls, but also provide free childcare for their sons and daughters.
The charter school would receive public funding, in a similar set-up to the “free” schools being developed in Britain, and it would be run by a group of pastors and teachers in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
According to the school’s prospectus, its teachers will aim to develop “self-confidence and worth” in young parents, while promoting “critical thinking skills that will open the door for positive life choices”.
Jacquelyn Wideman, a charity consultant, is leading the project.
“An all-inclusive high school for pregnant and parenting teens will eliminate barriers to completing high school education,” the Telegraph quoted the school’s founders as saying.
They said the school will also “eliminate stigma and judgmental attitudes associated with those that are pregnant and in school”.
There are 77 pregnancies a year per 1,000 teenage girls in New York, according to the latest available figures, compared to 70 per 1,000 teenage girls around the United States. (ANI)
