Vunania Junior High School (JHS), a basic school in the Upper East Region of Ghana has seen an increase in student pregnancies just before Final examinations.
The school which is situated in Navrongo was established in 1964 with an initial enrollment of 18 pupils and one teacher. The school now operates a double stream system with a pupil population of 240 and 20 staff.The Headmaster of the School, Mr Anthony Akabikire revealed in a speech during the 50th anniversary celebration of the School that the poor academic performance of the school over the past six years was due to the indulgence of the pupils in social vices.
He mentioned that this year alone, five pregnant female candidates wrote the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) with a total of 13 children becoming pregnant during the 2013/2014 academic year.
The school presented 79 candidates and only 13 of them passed with the best aggregate being 22 in 2014.
“Looking at these results, there is nothing to boast about and the likely question one may ask is: ‘What is the cause of these poor performances?’”
The Headmaster reiterated his commitment to taking drastic measures against teachers and students who indulge in vices to reduce indiscipline significantly in the school and called for support from parents and the entire community to instill discipline in the students.