4 schoolgirls barred from Form IV exams
By Rose Mwalongo
Three were allegedly pregnant; one reportedly gave birth recently
At least four girls from Mdandamo Secondary School in Mshangamo village, Ruvuma Region were barred from doing the second paper of the National Form Four examinations which began yesterday.
The four were expelled from the examination room because three of them were reportedly pregnant while one was said to have delivered a couple few weeks ago and was ordered to sit for her final examinations as she had already been registered.
Two of the girls were identified as Martha Ngonyani and Adeliema Pili. Another was identified by only one name of Mary.
It was reported that the four did the Mathematics exam, after which they took a break. But when they returned for the Civics paper, they were barred from the examination, room by the school headmaster who claimed that he had been instructed by his superiors to take the action.
Elizabeth Ngonyani, the mother of Adeliema Pili, told The Guardian by telephone yesterday that the four students were reportedly ordered by the school headmaster, whose name could not be immediately obtained to leave the room, claiming that he had been instructed by his top bosses to bar them.
“My daughter and the three other girls had been allowed to sit for the examination. I am now surprised to hear that they have been ordered out of class,” said Ngonyani.
When contacted, the Ruvuma Regional Education Officer who identified herself by one name of Mkonongo, said she was on a trip.
Asked to comment on whether she had issued such the order barring the students, Mkonongo said: “Aren’t you the one who called me last week? Didn’t I instruct you to go to the ministry?” Mkonongo asked before hanging up on the reporter.
The move to bar the students comes hardly a month after the government through its Deputy Minister for Education and Vocational Training Mwantumu Mahiza issued a statement on September 4 this year saying pregnant girls would be allowed to sit for the national examination. Mahiza issued the statement a day before the Standard Seven National Examination which took place on September 5 this year.
The Guardian managed to talk to Mahiza yesterday, who speaking from Kibondo, said the statement remained valid.
“We already gave the instructions that pregnant girls who had been registered should only remain at home during classes, but should be allowed to sit for their final examinations. Whatever has happened in Ruvuma would be their own decisions; for we had already issued our instructions on the issue,” said Mahiza.
Meanwhile the Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police commander, Suleiman Kova said the Form IV examinations were done peacefully.
Other schools visited acknowledged that the exercise had started off well. The Gerezani Secondary School Headmistress in Ilala district, Silvia Lyimo confirmed that there were no incidents during the exams.
She said the 145 candidates at her school were well prepared and started their exams around 8.00am in the morning under tight security provided by police officers.
Ally Mtupa, the Second master of Oslo Secondary School in Kibamba-Kisarawe District in the Coast Region told this paper the candidates who were supposed to sit for exams were 50 but only 48 (24 girls and 24 boys) candidates qualified to do the exams.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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The problem is that, after being disqualified these girls have nowhere to go. Pregnancy during school means no other doors are open to them for education,and a marriage is probably out of the question.Are the rules helping these girls or hindering them as well as their next generation?
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