School pregnancies, enrolment go up fuelled by free education

What you need to know:

  • This was said by the Arusha regional administrative secretary (RAS), Mr Richard Kwitega – noting that the incidence of early pregnancies is growing in the region and, as such, something needs to be done to surmount the malady. 

Arusha. At least 333 students from both primary and secondary schools became pregnant in the period of two years between 2016 and December 2017.

This was said by the Arusha regional administrative secretary (RAS), Mr Richard Kwitega – noting that the incidence of early pregnancies is growing in the region and, as such, something needs to be done to surmount the malady. 

Some 81 out of the 333 students who got pregnant are in primary schools, while the other 252 are secondary school students.

“Despite reporting the matter to the police, no legal action is taken against a majority of the students,” Mr Kwitega said, stressing that this calls for remedial action, with a view to eradicating the problem root and branch! 

In the related issue of ‘free’ education for students to the secondary school level, Mr Kwitega revealed that primary and secondary schools in the region have been provided with Sh1.9 billion every month since the year 2016.

“The access to universal basic education programme has increased the number of students enrolment at both primary and secondary schools,” he explained.