54 pregnant girls discovered in Lagos public schools

A recent statistics released by the Office of Youth and Social Development, an arm of the Lagos State Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development has uncovered that 54 girls were pregnant and 200 students were on drugs in Lagos public secondary schools.

This unhealthy discovery showed that 54 pregnant girls were counselled by the school social services in the last one year out of the 378 schools visited.
Out of the 54 pregnant girl students counselled, 18 of them who were with seriously depressed were brought under
supervision of the social welfare service.
The report also revealed that 154 cases of sexual assault were uncovered and
the victims were counselled, while 27 of such affected students were placed under supervision. 91 victims of physical abuse were counselled, with 27 placed under supervision.
DailyPost gathered that about 102 students who absconded were also counselled by the department with 50 of such students placed under supervision.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth and Social Development, Dr. Dolapo Badru said the school social work section of his ministry had been going round schools to check delinquent acts of pupils in schools, which are detrimental to learning among students of primary and secondary schools in the State.
“Their work is that of identifying, managing and adjusting bad behaviour among students as a result of negative influence from peer group, modifying the behavioral attitudes of delinquent students in schools and offering counselling services to students from dysfunctional families.
“The School Social Workers have been working in collaboration with the School Guidance and Counsellors to counsel pupils and reform those in need of correction. Some of these cases were referred to Family Courts and the affected pupils were placed on supervision to enable them settle down both at home and in school.
“In the last one year, 378 schools were visited and a total of 2,601 students were counselled individually and in groups, while 567 students were placed on supervision,” he disclosed.
Dr Badru revealed that an investigation into the alleged sexual harassment of a girl-child by her guardian, a Naval Officer was also carried out, noting that she was
temporarily sheltered at the Special Correctional Centre for Girls, Idi-Araba till when she was released and got re-united with her biological parents in Bayelsa State.