By Daniel Agbesi Latsu
Kadjebi (O/R), May 9, GNA – Madam Emma Asilevi, the Kadjebi District Girl-Child Education Officer, has expressed excitement over a reduction in the number of pregnant girls and nursing mothers who sat for the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the district.
She said three pregnant girls and one nursing mother wrote the examination this year, compared to seven pregnant girls and six nursing mothers recorded during the 2025 BECE.
Data collected by the Girl-Child Education Unit of the Kadjebi District Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES) after the examination on Friday, May 8, and shared with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), attributed the decline to sustained public education on the dangers associated with teenage pregnancy.
Madam Asilevi commended parents, teachers, traditional leaders and the girls themselves for responding positively to continuous sensitisation campaigns organised by the Directorate and its stakeholders.
She said the campaigns focused on adolescent reproductive health, the importance of education, abstinence, and the long-term effects of teenage pregnancy on the future of girls.
The Girl-Child Education Officer urged parents to continue monitoring their children and to provide them with the needed guidance and support to enable them to complete their education successfully.
She also appealed to community leaders, faith-based organisations and non-governmental organisations to intensify efforts at educating young girls to remain focused on their academic pursuits.
According to the data, a total of 1,440 candidates, comprising 745 males and 695 females, registered for the 2026 BECE in the district.
Out of the number, 741 boys and 693 girls sat for the examination, while six candidates — four boys and two girls — were absent.
Madam Asilevi expressed optimism that the district would continue to record further reductions in teenage pregnancies among schoolgirls if stakeholders sustained ongoing educational campaigns and mentorship programmes.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Lydia Kukua Asamoah