Teen pregnancy policy reversed

Tanzania will reverse a policy which saw pregnant students and teenage mothers prevented from continuing with their studies. Former President John Magufuli in 2017 made it policy for pregnant girls to be expelled. ‘I give money for a student to study for free. And then, she gets pregnant, gives birth and after that, returns to school. No, not under my mandate,’ he said. A report on the News24 site notes that the crackdown was slammed by rights campaigners. Human Rights Watch published a report saying school officials in Tanzania were conducting pregnancy tests in order to expel pregnant students, depriving them of their right to an education. Announcing the change, Education Minister Joyce Ndalichako said ‘there is no time to wait’.