Civil society: Allow pregnant girls sit PLE
Oct 29, 2014
Primary Seven candidates are wrapping up their time in elementary school, and with PLE just around the corner, there is a call by civil society to allow pregnant finalists sit the exams.
By Agnes Nantambi
Primary Seven candidates are wrapping up their time in elementary school, and with PLE just around the corner, there is a call by civil society to allow pregnant finalists sit the exams.
During a press conference, advocates for girl child education under their umbrella body Forum for Education NGOs in Uganda (FENU) called on head teachers of primary schools to let pregnant girls do PLE.
Their belief is that barring girls from sitting their final exams can negatively impact on a girl’s future and her ability to further her education.
“Girls in Uganda often encounter many challenges to be able to study and we know that many drop out due to pregnancy,” said Frederick Mwesigye, the executive director of FENU.
Other organizations include Children at Risk Action Network (CRANE), Forum for African Women Educationists Uganda (FAWEU) and Plan Uganda.
On his part, Mwesigye argued that the Ugandan constitution and the Education Act provide for equal access to education, but that many girls are still prevented from sitting their exams.
“This year schools should play a part and allow pregnant girls and child mothers to return to school and do their exams,” he said.
Faith Kembabazi, who is the managing director of CRANE, complained that many boys who have impregnated girls are allowed to stay in school and take exams yet it is often the girls, whose futures are ruined by being prevented from taking their exams.
“Many children don’t have a good knowledge of reproductive education, and this has greatly affected them while pregnant,” she said.
Meanwhile, Josephine Pedum from FAWEU attributed the increasing cases of child mothers to poverty, unsafe home environment, child labor and peer influence.
She said: “Many girls suffer from child labor in some home environments where the perpetrators take advantage of them. This must be fought by giving the girls a second chance to sit their exams.”
Charity Namala the project coordinator Gender Based Violence (GBV) at Plan Uganda observed that many girls have fallen victims through defilement, manipulation or simply ignorance.
“We want to see this year very different, as schools open for exams on Monday, all pregnant girls who have dropped out school due to pregnancy must return and be allowed to sit their exams,” she sounded.
Available statistics indicate that girl’s enrollment at primary level has increased up to 50% since the introduction of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme, in addition to increased enrollment at secondary school.
Although significant progress has been registered, cases of girls dropping out of school, especially as they progress to higher classes, is increasing yet leading to failures to re-enter school after delivering.
A survey conducted by FAWEU in 2010 in 20 districts ranks pregnancy as the leading cause of school drop-out with 34%, followed by poverty with 28% and engagement in early marriage with 11%.
Globally more than 54% of girls do not complete primary education in sub-Sahara Africa and across the developing world. The gender gap between girls in primary school completion is greater than ten percent.
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