Arua, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A 15-year- old girl was among the candidates who wrote her Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) at Arua Prisons Primary School, Arua City.
The girl who is a mother of a one-month-old baby gave birth during the lockdown when schools were closed following the outbreak of Covid-19.
According to Loy Ariye the headteacher of the school, the girl said she has been preparing for the exams before she gave birth. She adds that the teenage mother was allowed to enter the examination room together with the baby so that she can be able to breastfeed the child.
In Arua public primary school, 192 candidates were registered but one girl absconded from the examinations for unknown reasons, according Rose Amanziru the headteacher.
Serere girl gives birth hours to exams
In Serere District a 16- year- old girl is sitting her Primary Leaving Examination- PLE at Serere HCIV after giving birth on Monday night.
On Tuesday morning, after consultations with PLE scouts and Serere district education officials resolved to allow the new mother to sit the examination on her hospital bed and was assigned a UNEB supervisor.
During the lockdown, more than 20,000 cases of pregnancy, involving school-going children were reported in different districts, according to Raising Voices. The exact number is however believed to be higher than this.
According to statistics obtained from the Ministry of Education Gender Unit’s preliminary investigations, there are about 200 pregnant finalists that reported to education institutions upon reopening. However, there is a likelihood for the number to be higher as some private schools, didn’t report such cases to the unit.
The majority of the cases were reported in Eastern Uganda with districts such as Iganga, Soroti and Yumbe in West Nile recording high numbers.
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