Have you ever wondered what its like to give birth while doing exams? Amina Mohammed revealed last week on Thursday,“A high number of candidates became mothers during the three days of KCPE. If this is the case all-year round, the country could be facing a real crisis,”
Professor George Magoha’s sentiments have as well come through as the number of candidates sitting this year’s exams and giving birth continue to increase with the latest incident in Mwingi, at Enziu Secondary School.
“That is a very serious issue. We need to go back to the family and deal with it ruthlessly from there. Parents must have time for their children; if they do not have time for their female children, then someone else will create time for them, and that someone else will be the ‘hyena’ that will be telling her ‘you are the most important thing in my life’,” he cautioned.
“You can assume that this is happening all the time. Where have our family values gone to,” he posed.
Speaking after opening an exam container in Kamukunji, Nairobi early today morning, Magoha advised parents to spend time more with their children
He explained that if they do not make time for their children, someone else will influence them resulting in early pregnancies.
“The high rate of candidates giving birth is a cultural problem. We as parents are failing to bring up our children in the correct manner. We are getting to a situation where the children are dictating to the parents what they should do,” he warned.
His sentiments came as the number of candidates sitting this year’s exams and giving birth continue to increase with the latest incident in Mwingi, at Enziu Secondary School.
After KCPE candidates sat their last paper on Thursday, Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed delivered what she termed shocking findings: nine girls had delivered babies during the exam period.
On Monday four candidates delivered at Mwingi Level Four Hospital and Kitui Level Five Hospital.
The cases involved students from IPC Mathuma Secondary School, Enzuva Secondary School, Vinda Secondary School and Ungatu Secondary School.
“Who is impregnating these girls? And why are they not in prison for defilement?” asked Brenda Kochiel, a law student in Nairobi, on her social media platform.
The responses tilted towards teachers and schoolmates. A number of people who had given birth in their teenage years confessed that they were either lured by their teachers or classmates.
“My physics teacher would call me in the lab and promise to make me feel good. I felt like he really cared for me, until I got pregnant and he got furious. He made me feel like I would be in deep trouble if I reported him,” said a mother in a comment.
Do you agree that culture is the problem leading to pregnancies?