Ohio newspaper the Canton Repository reported that 65 out of 490 female students—13 percent—at a Canton high school are pregnant.

Each year, 10 percent of American females ages 15-19 become pregnant; most of these births are among 18 and 19 year-olds. According to the Canton City Health Department, 104 of 586 babies born to Canton residents in the county’s two largest hospitals had mothers between ages 11 and 19.

Rick Senften, the newspaper’s special projects editor, wrote, “Whose fault is it that more than 13 percent of Timken’s girls are with child? Some would say fault-finding isn’t a fruitful exercise, but in this case, it’s critical. Suspects range from movies, TV and video games to lazy parents and lax discipline. Only one thing is sure: Schools don’t impregnate children.”

“A lot of factors enter into a school district’s ability to succeed, but none is more important than home environment. Even smart kids struggle when their parents don’t establish expectations for academic achievement and responsible behavior. Teen moms will, in time, almost surely fill this lethargic parenting description, their pregnancies evidence of faulty priorities.

“What chance does a pregnant girl have to meet education goals when she finds herself focusing on everything from peer attention to morning sickness, misses classes regularly and, finally, is on maternity leave? Many never return to school. If they do, they’re far behind.

“At home, they face mounting tensions created by the unplanned child-rearing responsibilities they’ve left with their own parents or grandparents. This persuades some to quit, and to plan on a GED. Sometimes that plan is realized; often it’s not.

“Not surprisingly, few get to college, educators say.”

Source: Canton Repository; NewsNet5; WorldNetDaily