Girls outnumber boys as UNEB registers pregnant ones for national exams

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) has credited the Ministry of Education for the guidance it made to schools asking them to take on the teenage girls that were made pregnant during the lockdown saying that this has seen the number of girl candidates increase more than than expected.

When COVID-19 broke out in the country, many sectors including schools were locked down and during the lockdown, a large number of the girls were sexually violated with many becoming pregnant before completing their school cycle.

Reports indicated that many girls in virtually all the districts of Uganda got pregnant as a result of defilement during the lockdown.

Basing on such reports, the Ministry of Education guided schools to allow the girls in such a situation to register and sit for their final exams.

Janipher Kalule, the spokesperson of UNEB reveals that female candidates registered so far for UPE are 52% of the total 71.2%, UCE 51% of the 60.7% and 43% at UACE level of the 51.1% so far registered with the registration deadline due on 30th November 2020.

Kalule says the guidance by the Ministry of Education to schools to allow all pregnant girls has contributed a lot to the significant lead girl candidates have over boys.

According to Kalule, as a aboard, they had had fears that due to the COVID-19 pandemic impact on the girl child with high levels of pregnancies, their number would be less than the usual.

Kalule notes that this gives a challenge to schools that have not yet submitted there registration data to ensure that they give an equal opportunity to both the boy and girl child.

UNEB announced the 22nd of October 2020, as the official starting date for registration with a period of five weeks to conclude the process.

According to Kalule, the deadline is next week on Monday the 30th of November.

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