6,000 girls were impregnated in Iganga during the lockdown
Information gathered by authorities as schools prepared to reopen revealed that the most affected girls were in those between Primary Five and Senior Three
What you need to know:
- President Museveni in March 2020 closed all institutions of learning to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. The schools started reopening on Monday.
At least 6,300 girls were impregnated in Iganga District during the two-year closure of schools, Daily Monitor has learnt.
President Museveni in March 2020 closed all institutions of learning to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. The schools started reopening on Monday.
The Iganga Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Ms Deborah Mwesigwa, on Tuesday said information gathered by authorities as schools prepared to reopen revealed that the most affected girls were in those between Primary Five and Senior Three.
“The district authorities, including myself, have, therefore, decided that those with advanced pregnancies remain home, together with those who have just given birth,” Ms Mwesigwa said.
She added: “We have found it fit for girls with pregnancies of up to three months to return to school, while learners whose children are above three months old can also be allowed in class so long as their babies remain home.”
Government directed school heads to allow pregnant and lactating girls to resume their studies.
However, the head teacher of Iganga Parents’ Secondary School, Mr Asuman Mpata, disagrees with the decision to allow pregnant learners in classrooms.
Mr Mpata said such a development is only feasible in government-aided schools due to their funding caps which he says may not impact on their academic standards.
He added that his school is facing a myriad of problems, including settling his poverty-stricken staff.
The director of Victoria Junior Day and Boarding Primary School in Namutumba District, Ms Prossy Muyinda, said although they have not received any pregnant or lactating pupils, they are ready to implement the Ministry of Education directive in that regard.
Ms Muyinda, however, noted that the pupils, especially girls, “have grown up” and are at risk of being lured into sexual acts.
“We have talked to parents of such girls to have them kept in the boarding section and pay Shs380,000 instead of Shs440,000 to avoid being exposed to risks of getting pregnant,’’ she said.
Report
Teen pregnancies
A 2020 report released by Marie Stopes Uganda in September last year indicated that young girls, especially in rural areas of Busoga Sub-region, experienced a number of challenges when accessing family planning and health facilities during the Covid-induced lockdown.
The report states that during the lockdown, adolescents faced transport challenges when going to health facilities, and while out of school, they lacked information on sexual reproductive health rights.
The report further reported that adolescents have the highest rate of unsafe abortions, and that of the 2.5 million adolescent girls in Uganda, 26 percent are sexually active and do not want a child, while the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) database 2020 report revealed that 1.3m girls globally marry before attaining the age of 15 years.
