A total of 183 teenage pregnancy cases were recorded during the 2022 Basic Education Certificate Examination(BECE) and the West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examination(WASSCE) in the Northern Region.
This was disclosed by a worried Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Shaibu in his speech during Ghana’s 66th Independence day anniversary celebration in the Northern Regional Capital, Tamale on Monday 6th March 2023.
The Minister bemoaned the situation as it does not auger well for effective learning among the students who should take their education seriously.
“This does not auger well for us. As stakeholders, we need to critically assess the current situation looking at the gaps in existing interventions in order to achieve coherent and sustainable interventions for eliminating teenage pregnancies in our schools,” Hon. Alhaji Shani Alhassan Shaibu said.
The Minister further made a clarion call for peace and unity since they are the bedrock of development.
“I call for closer collaboration among us all stakeholders to achieve the desired goals for peace. Let us remember that the dividends of progress and development can only be achieved if we have the required. Despite our diverse socio-economic structure, let us put aside our differences and create a united front for Mother Ghana’s progress.’
Meanwhile, the Independence day anniversary parade was attended by contingents from the various security agencies, cadet corps from second cycle institutions, and pupils from basic schools in the Tamale metropolis under the theme “Our Unity Strength, Purpose”.
Awards and certificates were presented to 16 schools in the metropolis for their performance in the parade. Although the parade began early, some school contingents suffered severe dehydration which nearly undermined the celebration’s beauty.
