Sierra Leone News: Pregnant Girls to Participate in Public Exams
By Alusine Sesay
Pregnant schoolgirls in Sierra Leone are to participate in public examinations if so desire, according to a leaked policy document from the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education.
Pregnant schoolgirls are not allowed to go to mainstream schooling. It still remains a policy despite sweeping new government measures to improve access to education for all.
The West African country introduced the ban on pregnant girls in 2015, after a rise in teenage pregnancy during the deadly Ebola outbreak. Activists say the law has increased shame and stigma for pregnant girls and set thousands back in their studies.
According to the leaked policy document, Sierra Leone has for over decades pursued a policy of inclusive education with the thrust of increasing access of children to quality education irrespective of
origin, gender, age, income group and physical ability.
“Even before the pronouncement of a policy after the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in 2016, restricting pregnant girls attending normal school, these girls always stayed away from schooling during pregnancy because of their inability for effective learning,” according to the document.
The government said that, it was widely perceived that pregnant girls have the potential to negatively influence their peers to be sexually active and become pregnant. “Whilst we recognise the nights of pregnant girls to attend school during pregnancy, we equally seek to uphold the rights of many more girls who are not pregnant.
Against this background, although the Government of Sierra Leone discourages teenage pregnancy, it also encourages pregnant girls to seek anti-natal (ANC) health services at nearest Government assisted health facility at no cost, take maternity break during critical times of pregnancy but can participate in public examination if so desire. These girls are free to resume normal schooling as soon as safe delivery and will benefit from the Free Quality School Education,” the Government said in the policy document.
“Based on strong anecdotal evidence, most of the teenage mothers do not resume school due to child care obligations, apparent parental neglect, and stigmatisation, among others. Therefore, the policy of Government of Sierra Leone is to provide support to teenage mothers to enable them resume schooling after delivery. Government therefore seeks assistance for these girls before and after delivery through cash transfers, child support and other means to enable teenage mothers resume schooling.”
Only 56 percent of Sierra Leonean girls aged 15 to 24 are literate, compared to 73 percent of boys in the same age range, according to the United Nations.
The previous government sets up alternate, part-time learning centres for visibly pregnant girls, saying that allowing them to attend regular schools would undermine their ability to do well, expose them to ridicule and encourage others to get pregnant.
The current government promised to reopen those learning centres with more funding.
