24 teens dropped out of school after becoming pregnant

A total of 31 students became pregnant while in secondary school during the 2018/2019 scholastic year, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said, with 24 of them dropping out as a result.

Only seven of these students went on to continue their secondary school studies. 

Bartolo, answering Labour Whip Byron Camilleri's question in parliament on Tuesday, said that all these students were referred to the government's Għożża service, a support service and educational programme for unmarried pregnant minors designed to help them to pursue their career paths.

Out of these 31 students, three of them became pregnant while they were 14 years old, 11 when they were 15 years old and the other 17 became pregnant at 16.

None of the students who fell pregnant at 16 continued to frequent school. Two out of three students who fell pregnant at 14 continued studying while just five out of 11 students who fell pregnant at 15 continue studying.