No Student is Left Behind –
Night High Schools of Cebu City
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Cebu City is the Capital of one of the biggest provinces in the country. It has 26 night high schools run by the government and students here have lesser access to programs that are often given to regular class hours such as special seminars on Reproductive Health. Classes in the night high schools start at 5PM until 9PM during Mondays-Fridays and 8AM-4PM on Saturdays.
The Forum, with the support of Family Planning 2020 (FP2020), and in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) Cebu City Division, implemented a special program, the “Demand RH: Addressing the Reproductive Health Needs of Night High School Students of Cebu City”. The project helps to increase awareness about the benefits of Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law and mainstream Adolescent Reproductive Health Rights to poorest and more vulnerable groups such as the Night High School students.
After 17 years of advocacy and patient campaigning, the Philippines finally passed its Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law (RPRH Law). But there is a need to help enable people to exercise their RH rights particularly our young people. Teen pregnancies in the country is highest in the South East Asia Region with more than 20 teen mothers giving birth every hour. But even with the poor RH status of adolescents, it was among the most challenged issue such that the Supreme Court, when the RH law was challenged in court, required parental consent for RH services among adolescents. Through better information, policies and programs, the project aims to improve the RH situation of Nigh High School students by working with the Department of Education, the schools, local government of Cebu, civil society organizations, student councils and the communities.
Under the project, 10 Adolescent Reproductive Health Forum were conducted. The schools were: Abellana Night High School, Punta Princesa Night High School, Zapatera Night High School, Mambaling Night High School, Tisa Night High School, Inayawan Night High School, Don Sergion Osmeña Night High School, Ramon Duterte Night High School, Pardo Night High School and Tejero Night High School.