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THE enthusiasm often exhibited by people who strive to access Basic School Education, irrespective of their old age, has highly been commended by many but a growing phenomenon which Weekend Finder has gathered is that some of these ‘over-aged pupils’ are preying on their mates

Weekend Finder has gathered that these ‘over-aged pupils’ especially the ones in the rural areas of the country have turned the girls in the primary schools into sex mates and impregnating them in droves.

The situation, Weekend Finder gathered, is fast becoming a major cause of the high incidence of teenage pregnancies recorded in the basic schools.

At Mangotsonya Basic School in the Ningo Prampram District, a total of five girls got pregnant and dropped out of school last academic year.

Of this number, four of the pregnancies were recorded at the primary level, while one involved a Junior High School girl.

In one of the incidents, a primary two pupil was responsible for the pregnancy of his ‘senior’ who was in primary five.

In another incident, a primary five pupil was responsible for the pregnancy of a primary six girl.

Mrs Mavis Akuorkor Adjei, a teacher who doubles as the Guidance and Counseling Director at the school bemoaned the phenomenon, stating that although she constantly engages the pupils in sex education, the situation still persist.

She blamed the situation on parents’ lack of interest in the welfare of their children.

She also noted that most of the children live with their grandparents who do not enforce strict control over them.

She told Weekend Finder that she often uses a public address system in the town to educate the children about their reproductive health as a means of controlling the situation.

The situation was no different, when Weekend Finder visited the Natriku R/C Primary, in the Shai Osudoku District of the Greater Accra Region.

In this school, a 13-year-old primary four girl had been put in a family way by a 20-year-old primary six pupil.
The girl has since dropped out of school.

The paper also gathered that lack of parental control and neglect is a major cause of the high levels of teenage pregnancies in the school leading to most girls dropping out of school.

Headmistress of the school, Mrs Ann Ankutse expressed concern about the high incidents of girls especially dropping out of school.

She blamed the situation on irresponsible parenting.

Some teachers who spoke with the paper on the issue said some parents were more interested in spending lavishly on funerals than on their children’s education.