Malaysian school for pregnant teens gets its first pupils

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s first ‘School of Hope’ for pregnant teenagers began its work Monday with five girls joining it.

Four Malays and an ethnic Chinese students resumed their studies in Forms Four and Five at the school in Malacca state.

The teenagers, accompanied by their parents, were first required to make their formal application at the Malacca Islamic Religious Department before heading to the school.

The first to be seen was a young Chinese teenager who arrived with her parents at the school’s dormitory, House of Hope.

On Sunday, Malacca Chief Minister Mohammed Ali Rustam said families of five pregnant teenagers had sought to enrol their daughters in the school here.

The five, aged between 16 and 17 years, were from Malacca, Johor, Negri Sembilan, Pahang states and Kuala Lumpur, the national capital.

Ali said the school could accommodate 40 students. He said the privacy of the students would be protected and requested the public and the media to adhere to the rule.

He had caused a furore when he announced the setting up of the school two months ago, The Star said.

He had defended the state’s move, saying the school was to provide pregnant teenagers with a second chance and curb illicit sex and baby dumping.