Govt to Church: We’re open to talks over pregnant students

The State Minister for Higher Education, Dr John Chrysostom Muyingo, has said the government is open to more ideas on how pregnant girls can continue with their studies.

Prior to the reopening of new school term on January 10, the government ordered schools to admit pregnant and breastfeeding girls.

This was in line with the December 2020 revised guidelines for the prevention and management of teenage pregnancy in schools.

The guidelines also provide directions to schools on how to tackle stigma, discrimination, and violence against learners who are pregnant or are parents.

However, there have been divergent views on the matter with some clerics, especially from Church of Uganda saying they will not allow pregnant or breastfeeding girls in church-founded schools.

But Dr Muyingo clarified that while government is against discrimination and denial of pregnant girls’ right  to attend classes, the door is open for dialogue on alternative options.

“We can still discuss the other options as long as pregnant girls are not denied the right to education. Most of these girls are not entirely responsible for their respective pregnancies and remain innocent,” he told the Church of Uganda diocesan education coordinators in Luweero District at the weekend .

 “We have good ideas on how best these girls can be helped and discussed with a view of finding a better future for these innocent girls,” he added.

A section of the diocesan education coordinators had earlier expressed concern that pregnancy comes with many challenges that may appear abnormal to the rest of the learners, which distracts them.

“We reecho the differing voices from our bishops that the pregnant girls be accommodated in areas where they can be comfortable and free from any form of stigma from the rest of the children,” the Rev Livingstone Mukama, the mission director at Luweero Diocese, said.

 “A pregnant girl faced with nausea may find it hard to comfortably attend the same class with the rest of the learners. Government should allow other options for pregnant girls,” he added.

The clerics also appealed to the government to address other challenges in the education sector.

They said some government technocrats do not want to consult with the school foundation bodies on salient matters despite the existence of the guidelines.

“While the Education Act 2008 considers the school foundation bodies as partners in the implementation of the different policies and guidelines in schools, we have on several occasions been let down by actions of a section of government representatives,” Dr Rev Grace Paul Kakooza, the director education services, Church of Uganda, said.

In response, Dr Muyingo said: “We want the government to consider the church input on the ongoing Education Review Commission that targets improving the education system.”