A 17-year-old Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) candidate at Acherer primary school in Moroto district has given birth to a baby boy while sitting for her exams.
The teenager reported to the health facility at around 6:00 am as she waited for her math examination paper, indicating her determination to sit for her exams despite her condition.
At 9:00 am, the candidate started writing her examination, which was administered at the facility until around 9:35 am when the labour pains intensified, and she gave birth to a healthy baby boy at 10:00 am.
Susan Lowal, the enrolled midwife at Acherer health center II, said the teenager delivered normally, and she and the baby are in good health. Lowal explained that by 9:35 am, the mother was fully dilated, and they kept telling her to push.
By exactly 10:00 am, she delivered a baby weighing 3 kilograms. Lowal said that the mother will be kept under observation for 24 hours before being discharged. She stressed that the mother will have to complete her exams at the health facility because they cannot discharge her before establishing her well-being after delivery.
Teddy Flavia Awili, the head teacher of Acherer primary school said that a total of 27 candidates are sitting for the examination, and all of them turned up, including the one candidate who sat in labour pain.
Awili said that the candidate was allowed to sit for the examination at the health facility because of her status. She noted that the examination started well and there are no challenges reported so far regarding the exercise.
Hellen Aligoi, Moroto district education officer (DEO), said that a total of 935 candidates, of which two are special needs children from Kasimeri and Moroto Army primary schools, are sitting for their final examinations.
Aligoi noted that the schools were fully prepared for the final examination, and no incidents of exam malpractice have been reported so far. She stressed that although the teachers’ strike affected them, the candidates had enough time to revise their books, and the World Food Program (WFP) also supported the schools with food items for those who would be doing their revision.
She is optimistic that the children will perform well because the teachers tried everything possible to cover the syllabus and took the learners through the revision exercise.
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