Currently, the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) follows the Revised Guidelines on Prevention and Management of Teenage Pregnancy in School Settings. The Guidelines were developed to assist adolescent mothers and pregnant girls in completing their school cycles, as well as to provide schools with guidance on the prevention and management of adolescent pregnancy in school settings. However, the Guidelines place limitations and conditions for return to school by teenage mothers. They provide for a mandatory leave of one year from the time a female learner is three months pregnant until the baby is six months old. In case, it is a male learner responsible for the pregnancy, he will also be subjected to the same period of leave. However, where a girl is just a month or two weeks away to sit her promotional exams, permission should be granted to sit for the exams before taking the mandatory leave. Unfortunately, the foregoing policy position is counterproductive in facilitating the return of such learners and majority end up dropping out of schools. It has been estimated that 97% of the learners that get pregnant discontinue their education. Although all countries have unique realities, is also important to make a comparative analysis on how some of them on the African continent are managing teenage pregnancy since access to education by children is a universal right on the Continent. This policy brief highlights Uganda’s and some other African countries’ policy on retention, continuity and reintegration of pregnant girls and adolescent mothers (PGAMs) in school.
Centro de Recursos de Salud y Educación