TEENAGE PREGNANCY POSES THREAT AT BESIA PRIMARY SCHOOL
A photo taken during the distribution of Madi books on the History of the Madi People.
By Ganiko Samson Bullen
MOYO
Education stakeholders at Besia Primary School have resolved to engage the District Community Development Officer to provide guidance and counselling to teenage girls, following rising cases of teenage pregnancy at the school.
The resolution was reached during an extraordinary Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meeting held on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.
According to Mangwi Ubha Heldrine, the head teacher of the school, three learners have become pregnant and subsequently dropped out of school. The learners are now at home with their parents, prompting the school to seek the intervention of higher authorities.
“Because if we don’t do it, they will continue doing the same thing, especially those in the upper classes, who are at a dangerous age and need to be guided,” he notes.
Ajio Rose Mary Ukodi, the PTA chairperson, says teenage pregnancy is now on the rise in the district, attributing the situation partly to poor parenting.
“It is the responsibility of the parents to ensure that these children do not drop out of school and continue with their studies. But if there are situations where parents do not know where their children are, and they go to discos without the knowledge of their parents, this is where these cases of pregnancy come from,” she said.
Liri Deogracious, a parent of a Primary Seven learner, agrees with the PTA chairperson, saying parents have a major role to play in addressing teenage pregnancy among learners.
“If we are to look at the timetable, I am going to say I am also a teacher, and I know what the timetable looks like. From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. is when the children are at school. If you calculate that, it is eight hours. That means, out of the 24 hours, the rest of the time they are with their parents at home,” he said.
Egama Nazarene M. Okollo, the LC1 chairperson of Moyipi Oli Village, called upon parents to take greater responsibility for their children and ensure they do not move around without proper guidance.
“If you leave your girls to move anyhow—not only the girls, but even the boys—I have them in my village. Some of them are even opium smokers, yet they have parents who are alive. Now, why do you produce them if you don’t control them?” Egama said.
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