'Letters to the Editor': Teenage Issues

Sashi Kiran, the Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection has raised her concern on the involvement of teenagers getting pregnant and living with partners while still under the age of 18 years.

This is a matter of great national concern.

These issues have also been raised at recent church gatherings and Provincial Council meetings.

The Minister for Education, Aseri Radrodro has also voiced his concern at the issues raised above.

Children are seen loitering around during school hours and indulging in criminal activities.

A sense of frustration amongst parents, teachers, Government ministries and non-government organisations looms large.

The matter seems to be getting out of control and attempts to educate and empower teenagers seems to be falling on deaf ears.

The fact of the matter is that our children have too much freedom and too much protection from law.

Thus, they defy their parents and defy their teachers and indulge in activities imported from abroad, thanks to the ever-growing mass communications technology which gives access to all kinds of lewd materials and fashions. For example living with partners without marrying.

These premarital relations have a huge impact once they marry. Meteoric divorce rate is frightening. Thus the crumbling of the family value system.

Modern mothers give birth and refuse to breastfeed their babies for various reasons. Thus the bonding process suffers and the health of the child suffers.

Feeding babies on canned milk and bottled food is a hazard to their health. They miss out on rich nutrients from the mother’s breast. Sex is a very powerful factor in our lives. We cannot run away from it.

Mothers must talk to their daughters on the construction of their bodies, growth and changes which are taking place. Girls reach puberty and see the changes in their body.

Discussion on these must not be treated as taboos if we want to control our teenagers.

Teenagers will invariably experiment with the excitement of sex and indulge in unsafe sexual activities resulting in sexually transmitted diseases.

Parents, teachers, churches and the nation as a whole have a mammoth task and must not neglect their responsibilities. Our teenagers are too precious.

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