Education CS George Magoha said on Monday that 652 young girls sat their KCSE exam after giving birth.
The CS blamed the closure of schools during Covid but demographic surveys consistently show that around 20 percent of Kenyan girls between 15 and 19 years of age are either pregnant or have given birth. There are around 2.7 million girls between 15 and 19 years in Kenya so 540,000 must have given birth or be pregnant.
Therefore only 1 percent of teenage Kenyan mothers sat their KCSE exams. That is a sad statistic. The other 99 percent have been denied the opportunity to advance themselves and their children. Educated mothers are statistically more likely to raise healthy, educated and successful children.
In 2017, Tanzanian President John Magufuli was widely condemned for banning pregnant girls and teenage mothers from attending school.
We all recognise that teenage girls deserve an education. Often they get pregnant for reasons beyond their own control, such as early marriage.
So rather than disapproving, Kenya should be proud of these 652 young mothers and hope that in future more young mothers will be able to complete secondary education.
Quote of the day: "How very little can be done under the spirit of fear."
Florence Nightingale
The English nurse and social reformer was born on May 12, 1820
