On 17 Sept 2010, a school for pregnant teens named Sekolah Harapan or School of Hope opened in Jasin, Melaka. The school opened without much fanfare, and no takers yet at the time of open. Malacca Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, who mooted the idea of setting up this school, said the school is open to married and unmarried teens who are pregnant as well as rape victims. RM500,000 had been set aside for the School of Hope to provide free education as well as maternity and delivery care for pregnant teens, whether they are married or not.
Converted from two buildings owned by Air Melaka Berhad, the school, which is equipped with a hostel, is managed by the Malacca Islamic Affairs Council. The school located on a scenic hilltop outside the tourist town of Malacca, which can take up to 40 students including 20 at its residential hostel. The public was not allowed to enter the school, and the identity of the students was confidential.
Chairman Datuk Abdul Rahman Abdul Karim said that the students would attend regular classes for standard examination subjects during the day and be taught handicraft and parenting skills in the evening by female trained educators. The mothers-to-be would be taught the standard secondary school syllabus. After their delivery and confinement period, they will return to their normal schools.
Some Muslim commentators have complained that Sekolah Harapan or “School of Hope” will only encourage premarital sex. But Abdul Rahman defended the school as a practical strategy to combat the rising numbers of abandoned infants — often dumped dead or dying in the streets or on rubbish dumps in cases that have shocked Malaysians.
On 19 Sept 2010, 2 days after the school opened, 5 pregnant teenagers have enrolled in and become the first batch students. The students, aged 16 and 17, from Malacca, Johor, the Federal Territory, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang, registered with the companies of their parents. Four of them will be in Form 5 and another one in Form 4.
Loh Siew Ying (A132765) - I agree the open of this school. Besides reduce the incidents of baby dumping, it also protects the girls who became pregnant out of wedlock.
ReplyDeleteOnce founded pregnant, the teenagers will face pressure from many aspects, from their family, school, friends, authorities and religion. They will also face physical changes on their body. In this situation, they prohibited to school and may not accept by their family and friends. They lost chance to be educated, and unable to take care the baby after born. Therefore, they choose to hide the fact, and dump their baby.
This School of Hope give a second chance to the girls who did mistake to repent. It provides them education as normal young girls, and also teaches them parental skills to take care of their baby in future. They can get good care there, as the teachers are trained well. Besides that, they can find companions here, and may feel console with those who are same situation with her.
With the second chance, they will be clearer about what should do and positive thinking towards their future. In the school, they feel acceptance by people too. With these, they will less willing to dump their baby in future.