PREGNANT GIRLS MUST NOT WRITE THE B.E.C.E.

19th June, 2013

Experience has shown that education is a critical precondition for development. Literacy has therefore become imperative and is desirable to countries looking forward to achieving their ultimate goal of development.

In Ghana, the selection process for higher education begins after one sits for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (B.E.C.E). With the incorporation of R.M.E and Social Studies into the basic education curriculum, it has become clear to all the efforts government have put in place to imbibe courtesy into our younger siblings. Consequently, one would have taught that our young girls who have studied these courtesy courses since primary to Junior High School 3 would be distinctive enough among their colleagues, who have not been privileged to receive any basic education, and show their class by displaying high levels of good morals but unfortunately, this has not been the case.

It has rather become a phenomenon to see pregnant young girls, who claim to be future leaders, now writing the B.E.C.E. And so our future leaders will choose the pleasure in between their thighs over scholastic attainments? Will we be proud to have a president or a minister who was impregnated by his boyfriend when she was in basic school? Can we bear the disgrace when, in say twenty years time, 50% of our female B.E.C.E candidates are pregnant? Why are we not taking this serious? Why are we not asking questions? Are we serious as a nation?

Of course one we all know that the laws governing the B.E.C.E does not prevent pregnant girls from taking the exams but what is preventing us from making the laws against such a diabolic situation? Or are we encouraging the girls to get pregnant to show us that they got swag?

If we are really against this, then we have to take pragmatic steps to alleviate the problem once and for all. Personally, I am suggesting that those girls who involve themselves in such practices, unless for those who are raped, should not be allowed to write the B.E.C.E. This obviously would serve as a deterrent for the upcoming girls. Enough of the “big people” only expressing their worry about the situation and the mere appealing of parents and guardians to monitor their wards activities. We need action NOW!!

Let us put priority in female-child education. Would you, seriously, be encouraged to send your female child to school if you knew that she would get pregnant there? Please, let us give the politics a break and start doing something for education.

May God give us wisdom.

Mensah Emmanuel,

BSc. Development Planning, KNUST

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