Primary seven female pupils in Omoro District must undergo mandatory pregnancy tests, authorities have recommended.
The decision comes just days after candidate classes resumed school following a dicision by president Museveni to lift six months lockdown.
The district authorities say they made the decision due to the reported surge in the number of teenage pregnancies attributed to the prolonged COVID-19 lockdown.
According to Susan Akany the Omoro Resident District Commissioner who doubles as the Task Force Chairperson, hundreds of teenage girls in the district are believed to be pregnant.
She added that the directive is in compliance with Ministry of Education policy that requires that such vulnerable girls be identified, encouraged and provided with counselling and psychosocial support to enable them to resume studies.
The district authorities intend to discuss the directive with school head teachers in a meeting later today.
Even if they are found to be pregnant, the girls are to be allowed to sit their final examinations.
44 out of the 120 schools in Omoro district have been cleared to open for candidate classes after meeting the requirements set by the Education ministry.
