Kadjebi (O/R)-Ghana, Aug. 10, GNA – Madam Emma Asilevi, the Kadjebi District Girl-child Education Officer, has expressed worry over the upsurge of pregnancy among school girls in the district.
She said the district recorded nine pregnant girls, with three absentees and sixteen nursing mothers sitting for the 2023 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), compared to what pertained in 2022.
Madam Asilevi who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after touring the five Examination Centres, said during the 2022 examinations, only one case of pregnancy and three nursing mothers were recorded, and described the present trend was alarming.
She blamed the current situation on poor parenting and neglected responsibility in providing for the basic needs of their young girls.
The Girl-child Officer said big family sizes could also be another factor contributing to the upsurge and therefore advised parents to consider options for proper planning (Family Planning) for the number of children they could comfortably cater for.
Madam Asilevi said intensified advocacy, education and counseling could be an antidote to the problem, and encouraged parents to invest in girls’ education, as it transformed communities, countries, and the entire world.
Girls’ education strengthened economies and reduced inequalities and contributed to more stable, resilient societies that gave every individual an opportunity to fully fulfil their potentials, she said.
Madam Asilevi said educated girls were less likely to marry young and more likely to lead healthy and productive lives, so more attention should be given to them.
The district has registered 1,052 candidates involving; 813 males and 689 females for the BECE.
