GIRL WHO GAVE BIRTH IN THE DORM ALLOWED TO TAKE EXAMS.
A Busia student in the fourth form who gave birth in the student hostel on Tuesday night has been given the all-clear to resume her academic pursuits. The candidate, a student at a Budalang’i institution, is said to be doing well, and her fellow students helped ensure a smooth delivery in the hostel.
According to George Owuoche, director of education for the subcounty of Bunyala, the girl was cleared by doctors to return to school after she had her baby. She had all the standard medical care for a woman giving delivery, he emphasised.
This high school junior is one of 903,260 students from throughout Kenya sitting the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exams, which began on October 23. On November 24th, a practical exam in Physics will round up the national exam.
Students in Busia are still having babies during examinations, despite recent recommendations from Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu to avoid partnerships that could disrupt their education. In 2020, as part of a crackdown on kangaroo courts covering adolescent pregnancies, the Education Ministry issued a warning to the parents and guardians of girls who gave birth during exams that they could face jail.
Concerned about the potential security implications, Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang has promised to work with other government departments to find a solution.
In accordance with ministry regulations, applicants who are pregnant must stay in school until they have given birth, at which point they may go home and apply for readmission to resume their studies. This instance highlights the persistent difficulties young people confront despite efforts to put an emphasis on their education.
