Eleven miss PLE in Amuru due to pregnancy

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | At least 11 primary school girls in Amuru district have failed to turn up for their Primary Leaving Examinations due to early pregnancy. George Oryem, the headmaster of Amuru Lamogi Primary School, says three of the girls in his school failed to show up this morning for the exams because they were found pregnant in the course of the third term.

Apollo Okello, the Amuru District Education Secretary, says another two were found pregnant in Palami Primary School. The rest of the girls aged between 15 and 17 came from different schools.

Okello said they expected the girls to turn up for their first paper after preparing from home for the examinations. He says this year; Amuru district registered 3,018 candidates for PLE. 1,035 are girls while 1,983 are boys.

The candidates sat for mathematics in the morning and English language in the afternoon. Most schools discontinue teenage girls from attending classes when discovered pregnant while some drop out on their own accord for fear of stigma.

Just a handful would change environment to complete their primary education.

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