By George Emuron
BUKEDEA
Authorities in Bukedea district have registered a total of eighteen teenage mothers who are currently sitting for the 2022 Uganda Certificate of Education examinations.
The eighteen teenage mothers were enrolled in Bukedea secondary school, Kolir comprehensive and St. Theresa secondary school.
Out of the eighteen, nine are breastfeeding mothers and nine are expectant mothers.
Bukedea district registered 1,956 candidates to sit for Uganda certificate of education in the year 2022.
Stephen Okurut, the district acting education officer in an exclusive interview with this website on 25th October 2022 at his office said the breastfeeding candidates and the expectant mothers conceived while at school.
“As guided by school rules and regulations, we asked these girls to come back for exams and as per now, nine are breast feeding mothers and nine are due to give birth,”said Mr. Okurut.
Mr. Okurut also added that within the UCE exam period, about seventeen candidates went missing after appearing for the first two days in the examination rooms.
“We were also shocked to learn that some of the candidates failed to turn up for the exams after appearing for some days, as the education department, we are still trying our best to discover their whereabouts, “said Mr. Okurut.
In an interview with some of the caretaker mothers who asked not to be published, they said most of the expectant teenage mothers are single mothers.
“Most of their husbands are at large, so we act like their husbands, which is a big burden,” said one of the caretaker mothers.
Florence Amidiong, the officer in charge child protection unit in Bukedea central police station recently said the cases of teenage mothers are alarming adding that most young girls are impregnated and dumped by their boyfriends.
“We receive such cases on daily bases, parents and girls try to seek help or support from in laws,”said Ms. Amidiong.
