<p>Momofthree,</p>
<p>Punishing a girl for becoming pregnant, and punishing a girl for continuing a pregnancy are two totally different things. If the school is punishing individuals for becoming pregnant then they need to extend that to both individuals who participated in the act that created the pregnancy. If the school is punishing women for not having abortions, that’s pretty horrible in my opinion. Pressuring a woman to make a specific choice about her body isn’t any better when you’re pressing for abortion than it is when you’re pressing for the opposite.</p>
<p>Of all my achievements, raising my son to be the person he is today is the one of which I am most proud. Why shouldn’t a teen mother who provides love and care to her baby feel proud of that achievement? </p>
<p>At what point does a teen mother get to feel proud again? At what point does her child become something acceptable to celebrate?</p>
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<p>Clearly, I don’t advocate that. I was questioning why you would immediately jump to the assumption that a “teen boy” was involved and should also be sent to “vocational school” and pushing your thinking. I appreciate that woman have the right to make their own decisions regarding their bodies.</p>
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<p>Some might feel that, but it would be pretty silly. Really, far more teenagers don’t get pregnant than do. And as has been pointed out, the rate of teen pregnancy has been declining.</p>
<p>As the boys tend to get away with their part in the pregnancy, vocational school seems fair. The baby daddies are a sad lot indeed. If they really didn’t want the girl to get pregnant, wear a condom. Sure they fail, but at least they can say they didn’t intend to get the girl pregnant. Not using a condom is saying I want to be a daddy, regardless of what preventive methods the girl is or isnt using.</p>
<p>Condoms should be celebrated and deemed cool, and handed out everywhere to anyone who wants one. And no young man should have sex without one. Not using one for casual sex is foolish.</p>
<p>If stats are important to 1or2, note that 1/3 of teen girls have at least one pregnancy before 20. And though in the U.S. teen pregnancy rates are declining, the U.S. has the highest rate in the western industrialized world. 80% of teen pregnancies are unintended. I don’t know the ancestry of the teen in this thread but it isn’t relevant to allowing the pic. Never-the-less, 48% of black teens get pregnant at least once before age 20.
Just my opinion, but not stats to be proud of. Not what I’d list for America’s achievements. Your opinion may differ. Personally, I don’t see an unwed teen pregnancy as an achievement. Though as others have pointed out, graduating is an achievement, and raising the newborn to a happy, young adult would be- but one has to look back to see if the child was raised well. </p>
<p>CuriousJane tells us raising her son was her most proud achievement. I say- well done! I agree that is an achievement.
However, unlike Jane, the teen in this thread has not successfully raised her child. She is not yet able to list that as an achievement. I don’t know if she is supporting the child, or if taxpayers are, or some combination. That could be a factor for those who credit her with <em>raising</em> the child. Will the teen raise the newborn well? The mother may very well do so, in time. She may become the mother of a fine citizen. All that is wonderful potential. I would wish her the best. But it’s not an achievement yet. Her only achievement so far is getting pregnant and having a baby. And as some others have said- graduating despite the difficulties of having a child. Clearly, in that example the child isn’t the achievement, the graduation is. Getting pregnant by itself, isn’t so remarkable for a female teen.</p>
<p>to limabeans, post 140. Not to say I agree with the policy you questioned in your post, but I think I understand it. The school probably feels a pregnancy distracts other students from their learning.</p>