SCHOOL WON'T FIND EASY ANSWERS FOR TEEN MOMS

A special committee appointed by the Cape Girardeau Board of Education is studying the effect of teen-age pregnancy on dropout rates. It should come as little surprise that coping with school and raising a child proves too much of a burden for many teens. About 20 percent of high school mothers drop out in the Cape Girardeau Public Schools.

The committee is right to try and devise ways to help these students, and not just point a finger of blame. But they certainly have their work cut out for them.

More and more, our public schools must cope with a growing number of societal problems - issues that used to be handled in the home. As more parents work, a greater share of a child's moral guidance has fallen to public education.

First, we must put the pro~blem in perspective. Teen-age pregnancy is a problem here but not an epidemic. The actual number of pregnant teens represents a rather small percentage of the overall student population. But nearly 30 students in the Cape Public Schools alone in each of the last two years have been pregnant; it remains an eye-opening statistic. At the junior high, 6 ninth graders and 3 eighth graders were pregnant this past year.

At Central High School, 27 Central High students were pregnant during the past school year. Eleven of those students dropped out. An additional 15 moms started high school last fall, with 11 of those dropping out. New mothers stay home six weeks after delivery. The district already offers a homebound education program for these students.

The issue of teen pregnancy is certainly not new. But it's become more acceptable for teenagers to keep their babies; 20 years ago, adoption may have been more common.

Sex education in the schools is not to blame for teen pregnancy. Most kids today are schooled in the birds and the bees from their peers at distressingly young ages. It's up to schools and parents to reinforce the realities.

Perhaps some sessions led by these young parents would give a dose of realism that no adult could provide. These young mothers could relate that they didn't think they could become pregnant ... but they did. They can tell of the responsibility and the problems of raising a family while trying to attend school.

Teen pregnancy represents a complex problem that affects more than just our schools. The state also pays a heavy price in terms of social services. Ideally, the schools, parents and the community must work together to better educate our children about the consequences of teen pregnancy.