NIMBA COUNTY, LIBERIA-The District Education Officer of Tappita District in Nimba County, Victor Playeah, has described the increasing wave of teenage pregnancies among school-going girls as alarming.

Playeah attributed the situation to peer pressure, lack of parental care, and control.

He said educational stakeholders in the district, along with health workers, have increased awareness about the danger of the state of affairs, in an effort to address the situation.

In an ELBC interview over the weekend, the Tappita District Education Officer also highlighted the continuation of the night school session to enable the girls to complete their academic journey, despite being pregnant.

He is, however, calling for a collective approach in tackling the menace that is geared towards the protection and elevation of girls’ education.

Meanwhile, Playeah is commending the Education Ministry for placing nine volunteer teachers on the government’s payroll.

He said,” The placement of those teachers will better their living conditions and significantly improve learning outcomes in the district”.

During the interview, he also highlighted infrastructural challenges confronting the district’s Education Sector.

Playeah pointed out dilapidated classrooms and school structures across the district as some key challenges impeding the smooth learning environment of school-going children.

The Tappita District Education Officer, at the same time, lauded the Education Ministry for the consistent and timely distribution of instructional materials to enhance the productivity of both teachers and students.

At the same time, the Health Promotion Officer of Tappita District, Sam Blah, is urging the Ministry of Health to construct maternal waiting rooms in the district to safeguard the dignity of pregnant women and girls.

Blah said,” The absence of a maternal waiting room in most of the hospitals and clinics across the district has, over the years, resulted in thousands of young women giving birth along highways and alleys”.

He also called on the County Health Team and the Local Authorities of Nimba County to swiftly intervene and remedy the situation.

Sam Blah said the situation, when tackled, will restore respect and increase the confidence of all pregnant women in the district, and at the same time, reduce maternal deaths.

In another development, the Jason and Betty Saylee Education Foundation has recognized the contributions of several individuals and organizations to national progress.

The awardees were drawn from several sectors, including health, education, civil society, local government, and the business community of Tappita District.

According to the organizers, the initiative is aimed at recognizing the immense contributions of citizens who have, over the years, imparted knowledge through their professions.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, Chris Saylee, said,” The annual exercise is my way of giving back to my people, while remaining connected to them”.

Saylee admonished the recipients to continually serve as ‘ambassadors of change’ through their actions and deeds.

Meanwhile, the beneficiaries lauded the Jason and Betty Saylee Foundation for the recognition and promised to remain agents of change in their respective fields of discipline.