A PARTNERSHIP approach can help create the right conditions to tackle the high levels of teenage pregnancies at Lochgelly High School.

Cowdenbeath Area Committee was told that it was an issue that affected secondary schools in Fife and a special project had been set up at LHS to investigate the issue and look at ways of tackling it.

The school had been shown to have a higher level of teen pregnancies than most and at the January meeting the committee had asked for more information on the matter.

Tara Irvin, presenting the report, said that the ‘Get on my level’ team had spent considerable time working with pupils and that the consultation provided a valuable insight into the knowledge, attitudes, choices and pressures in relation to sexual health and relationahips for young people at the school.

The report, she added, made a number of recommendations for the Fife Health and Wellbeing Alliance, the Fife Sexual Health Strategy Group and wider community planning partners, particularly emphasising the links with health inequalities and joint working in delivery.

She added, “Discussions of perception of gender and relationships showed a wide range of understandings amongst the young people and illustrated many misperceptions both amongst the boys and girls and mutual pressures they encounter in considering their choices and being ‘ready’ for relationships”. Ms Irvin said the report included a recommendation for development of work with parents, particularly to build parents’ confidence in discussing relationships, sexual healh and parenthood, plus looking at primary school and incorporating sexual health education within early years work.

Lochgelly and Cardenden councillor, Ian Chisholm, agreed that it was important that parents were involved.

“There is no doubt that parents can play a very important role in helping young people be prepared to deal with the challenges that are in front of them with relationships,” he said.

His Lochgelly and Cardenden colleague, Mark Hood added, “Self esteem and confidence are very important matters for youngsters and we should be playing our part in helping them find this.” School rector, Carol Ann Penrose Campbell told the councillors that the consultation progress had proved so valuable and added, “This exercise has produced a lot of key elements that we can build on and virtually every school in Scotland can benefit from this sort of work.” Committee chairman, Councillor Willie Clarke, agreed with these comments and added, “Teenage pregnancies are something which affects almost every secondary school and getting the issue talked about can make a real difference to how pupils can handle the pressures that exist.”