The school where pregnancy tests are compulsory.

It’s just a typical day at school. Kick it off with maths, then a double period of drama. Recess comes before ancient history, followed by a pregnancy test and then a spot of P.E outside in the afternoon sun.

Sorry, WHAT?

If you’re a female student at the Delhi Charter School in Louisiana and you’re “suspected” of being pregnant (what, weeping over Kleenex commercials and dipping McDonalds fries in your strawberry sundae?), then weeing on a stick is a random but compulsory part of your daily school timetable.

And if the test comes back positive? You’ll be required to clean out your locker and switch to home schooling.

The Delhi Charter School has had these rules in place for around six years and they are apparently aimed at maintaining the school’s “high standards”.

The Student Pregnancy Policy (yes, there is one) reads:

If an administrator or teacher suspects a student is pregnant, a parent teacher conference will be held. The school reserves the right to require any female student to take a pregnancy test to confirm whether or not the suspected student is in fact pregnant. The school further reserves the right to refer the suspected student to a physician of its choice. If the test indicates that the student is pregnant, the student will not be permitted to attend classes on the campus of the Delhi Charter School.

If a student is determined to be pregnant and wishes to continue to attend Delhi Charter School. the student will be required to pursue a course of home study that will be provided by the school. Students engaged in home study will be required to meet all of the school’s ordinary, high academic standards in order to be promoted.

Any student who is suspected of being pregnant and who refuses to submit to a pregnancy test shall be treated as a pregnant student and will be offered home study opportunities.

The school also bans PDAs (Public Displays of Affection) including “holding hands on school premises, hugging, kissing, leaning against each other and sitting in each others’ laps”.

Which is a good thing, because we all know that lap sitting is just the first step down that short and slippery slope to life as prostitute, who is raising seven lovely but illegitimate children, smoking a lot of dope and not properly ironing your school skirt.

The story of Delhi Charter School has hit the media this week after officials in Louisiana ordered the school to change its policy. They argue the policy is unfair because it discriminates against students on the basis of sex – there’s no mention of males who father children being booted out of school, let alone compulsory paternity tests.

This from The Guardian:

Civil liberties campaigners highlighted the policy at the Delhi Charter School, saying it was discriminatory and unconstitutional. Commentators expressed concern that any student merely “suspected” of being pregnant could be forced to take a test.

The ACLU noted that around 70% of teenage girls who gave birth left school, partly because of illegal discrimination. “Schools should be supporting pregnant and parenting teens that face numerous barriers to completing their education, not illegally excluding them from school.”

But the school has so far failed to comply with those orders.

In a statement to the New York Daily News, the principal of the school, which educates approximately 700 students, said “there have never been any complaints from students or parents about the school’s policy” and says the policy has been forwarded to the school’s lawyers to make sure its in compliance with the law.

As for once a pregnant student has their child, there’s no word on whether students are allowed to return to school. But let’s just assume that this is not one of those schools with onsite child-care facilities.

Is this really a smart way to discourage students having sex? Or just unprotected sex. When you were at school, did anyone ever get pregnant?