The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology says it will maintain its stand of not allowing the provision of contraceptives in primary and secondary schools.

Director of Secondary and Distance Education in the Ministry, Chikondano Mussa said this at the official opening of a three day “whole system in the room” workshop in Balaka.

Some quarters in the society including Non-Governmental Organizations have been advocating for the provision of such services to control high pregnancy rate and sexually transmitted infections among young people.

Mussa said the Ministry’s policy has always been to promote abstinence among school going children.

“We want our children to abstain from indulging in premarital sex, anything outside that in the Ministry is unacceptable,” she said.

Mussa said the Ministry will not allow any contradictions to policies that are governing the handling of HIV/Aids issues in the education system.

Mussa said: “The issue of distribution of condoms in the schools that is a no in the Ministry because we cannot afford to be hypocrites. In the classroom we preach a different thing and then we go around and give them condoms.