THE suspension of a final year pregnant student of the St Patrick Midwifery Training College at Offinso in the Ashanti Region has raised concerns among the female students about their rights in relation to school regulations.
Tension is mounting on the campus, as students organise regular meetings on the suspension of their colleague, who is also the senior prefect. The whole student body has thrown its weight behind the suspended student who is said to have initiated a legal battle against the school for what she described as “violating her fundamental human rights”.
The five-month-old pregnant student, aged 30, (name witheld) who was legally married before she was admitted to the school three years ago, was on May 5, 2010, asked to leave the school for what the authorities described as “setting a bad precedence that has given room for moral laxity and indiscipline among students”.
The suspended student had three months left to write her final examination and was in the process of putting finishing touches to her project work when she was slapped with the suspension letter.
Apart from suspending her, the school authorities have also nullified her prefectship. She was the President of the Student Representative Council (SRC)
In a letter of suspension dated May 5, 2010 and headed ‘suspension of programme’ and signed by the Principal, Mrs Alice Donkor, the school authorities, in collaboration with the Board of Governors said “ having noticed and confirmed that you are very obviously pregnant, you were counselled to voluntarily defer your course until after delivery in accordance with the school’s rule and practices.
“In spite of this sound counsel, you rudely refused to defer. This has compelled me to suspend your training, in consultation with school’s management and board until after six months delivery,” the letter said.
It continued: “This suspension has been necessitated in order not to set a bad precedence that gives room to moral laxity and indiscipline among students”.
Explaining her action, Mrs Donkor said “ the suspension is also to enable you carry your pregnancy with less stress and to give the baby exclusive breast feeding. “You will be welcomed back to school six months after delivery if you wish, and after you have notified the school in writing,” it stressed.
The letter which wished her safe delivery also ordered the student who is the President of the Student Representative Council (SRC) to leave the school by May 8, 2010, and advised her to hand over school properties, books and all materials in her custody to her assistant .
Describing the action of the school as “ indirect dismissal,” during an interview with Daily Graphic, the victim noted she was not privy to any school regulation that prevented married students from getting pregnant.
She said being in her early 30’s and a final year student, she deemed it fit to start a family to avoid any complications of childbirth in future.
Expressing concern about the action of the school authorities, she said the decision to defer her programme solely rested on her and not the school authorities as stated in their letter.
She said it was based on the action to force her out of school that she sought refuge in her counsel who has already written to the school to rescind their decision or face a legal tussle unprecedented in the history of the school.
She said apart from the letter of suspension, the school with another letter, headlined ‘nullification of prefect’ written on May 5, 2010, stated;” this is to inform you that you have been demoted as school prefect because your obvious pregnancy is not a good example to the student body”.
She said the letter also stated that since she would stay home for a year, she was to hand over to her assistant with immediate effect.
She said it was based on such a decision, which is an infringement on her fundamental human rights that she sought advice from her counsel.
When contacted Mrs Donkor said the school was not a private institution and had a management board which was aware of the legal tussle emanating from the suspension of the final year student who is five months pregnant.
She said with the student initiating a court action, the school had also sought legal counsel and so would not like to comment on the issue.
“The school would be holding a meeting on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 to take a firm decision and, therefore, I would like to reserve any comments until the school management takes a decision on the issue,” she noted.
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