Fifty-four pregnant girls and 200 students on drugs have been uncovered in Lagos public secondary schools.

Fifty-four pregnant girls and 200 students on drugs have been uncovered in Lagos public secondary schools.

This was part of the statistics released by the Office of Youth and Social Development, an arm of the Lagos State Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development.

The statistics revealed that 54 pregnant girls were counselled by the school social services of the office in the last one year out of the 378 schools visited. Out of the 54 pregnant girl students counselled, 18 of them with serious depression were brought under supervision of the social welfare service.

Also, 200 cases of drug abuse were uncovered, while the students involved were counselled and 61 of them placed under supervision, 2,095 students involved in truancy were also counselled among the students, with 213 students placed under supervision.

The statistics further revealed 427 cases of gangsterism among students and placed 73 of such students under supervision, while 461 students were counselled on sèx education, with 103 students placed under supervision.

Also, 154 cases of sèxual 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.

The department also counselled 102 students who absconded 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 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 Counselors 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 well both at home and at school.

“In the last one year, 378 schools were visited and a total of 2,601 students were counselled in individually and in groups, while 567 students were placed on supervision,” he disclosed.

He added that an investigation into the alleged sèxual harassment of a girl-child by her guardian, a Naval Officer was carried out, saying that she was temporally sheltered at the Special Correctional Centre for Girls, Idi-Araba till when she was released and re-united with the biological parents in Bayelsa State.