Education Ministry Adopts New Strategy to Tackle Teenage Pregnancies in Schools

The Ministry of Education has stepped up efforts to address teenage pregnancies in schools through a coordinated approach involving teachers, school heads and other stakeholders.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba told the Senate that the initiative is being implemented alongside the National Guidelines for School Re-entry, which are intended to help affected learners return to education and continue their studies.

Ministry Admits Gaps in Teenage Pregnancy Data

Ogamba acknowledged that monitoring teenage pregnancies remains challenging because the country lacks a comprehensive information management system for collecting and consolidating relevant data.

The gap also affects efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding pregnancies, identify alleged perpetrators and track the support provided to affected learners.

The CS identified poverty, inadequate parental guidance, substance abuse, negative peer influence and limited community awareness as some of the factors contributing to teenage pregnancies.

His remarks followed questions from Nominated Senator Catherine Mumma, who sought details on the monitoring of cases, the availability of data, prosecution of defilement cases and support for teenage mothers returning to school.

Senate Raises Wider Education Concerns

The Senate session also covered teacher recruitment, religious rights in schools, Junior Secondary School staffing and education infrastructure.

On religious rights, Ogamba said learners should not face discrimination because of their faith, adding that findings in the case of Samira Ali Ramadhan of St Mary’s Lwak Girls High School had been forwarded to the Teachers Service Commission for appropriate action.

The CS further confirmed that Junior Secondary School teacher interns continue receiving monthly stipends under existing court orders, while funding has been provided for the recruitment of 20,000 teachers on permanent and pensionable terms from January 2027.

He said the government was also working to absorb the remaining 24,000 interns.

Other matters discussed included school leadership distribution, technical training regulation and classroom construction, with Ogamba outlining ongoing and planned investments in education facilities.

The Ministry’s approach to teenage pregnancies will depend partly on better data collection, effective implementation of school re-entry guidelines and cooperation among schools, families and other relevant agencies.