Free SHS programme inspires eight-month pregnant girl to write BECE
A-15-year-old pregnant girl who is determined to benefit from the Free Senior High School (FSHS) Programme has appealed to the government to sustain it.
Patricia Bangia, a final year student of the Kwadwo-Addaekrom D/A Primary and Junior High School in the Asutifi North District of the newly-created Ahafo Region is eight-month pregnant and had defied all odds to prepare and write this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
Ms. Bangja said though she was expected to deliver on June 18, she had registered for the examination scheduled to commence on June 10.
She admitted that though, the pregnancy was weighing her down, the implementation of the FSHS Programme had inspired her and therefore, commended the government for the programme, which had paved way for poor people in deprived areas to also easily access secondary school education.
In an interview at Kwadwo-Addaekrom, a cocoa growing community, Ms. Bangia expressed discomfort that the school environment was unfriendly to her as her school and classmates continued to stigmatize her. But, she added that encouragement and inspiration from her parents and teachers of the school had given her hope to continue schooling to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a health worker in future.
She said that other two pregnant girls in the school had dropped out because of the stigmatisation and praised her parents for their moral support.
