The Ghana Education Service (GES) has stated that it has not developed new guidelines that prevent pregnant Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates from writing the examination.
The Service has rather pointed out that its policy encourages girl-child education and would not do anything to prevent girls in that condition from accessing education.
“There are no guidelines that say when a BECE candidate is pregnant she should not be allowed to write the examination, as far as I know there is nothing like that,” the Director of the Basic Education Division of the GES, Mr Stephen Adu, told the Junior Graphic.
The position of the GES is contrary to a report by the Gomoa West District Private Schools Co-ordinator, Mr J. K. Mbruw, who said, among other things that under the new guidelines by the GES, expectant teenage girls would not be allowed to write the BECE.
However, Mr Adu said although the GES would not encourage girls to be pregnant while in school because of the psychological effects on them, it would also not prevent them from having access to education once they did not have any health challenges that would prevent them from schooling, or writing the BECE.
A copy of the GES’ Head teacher’s Handbook made available to the Junior Graphic said “ in case of pregnancy, school authorities should refer the matter to the parents. School authorities should advise parents to withdraw the pupil for a while for delivery, and after delivery return to school or transferred to another school for fear of intimidation and other psychological problems”.
Mr Adu, however, said in the case of examination “I don’t think we have developed any guidelines but what we say in principle is that the girl should be given the opportunity if she can make it unless her health does not allow her”.
