Twenty three girls taking part in this year’s Basic Educa­tion Certificate Examination (BECE) in the Eastern Region are said to be pregnant.

Out of a total of 41,172 junior high school candidates in public and private schools,  22,034 are males while 19,138 are females.

Daily Guide's visit to the Methodist JHS at Okorase, near Koforidua, revealed that three girls, among 158 candidates from six schools who were writing the English Language paper, were pregnant.

At Koforidua Adawso Presby Primary and JHS where 300 candidates from nine schools are sitting for the exami­nation, two were pregnant while five were in the same condition at the St Mangoase in the Akuapim North Municipality.

At about 10 examination centres visited, some of the girls were absent apparently due to pregnancy. Others had reportedly travelled without any excuse.

At Nsawam Presby Basic School, 408 candidates from 3 schools are supposed to be writing the examination; and one girl was reportedly absent because of preg­nancy.

Other district centres visited where some of the female candidates were said to be pregnant were Suhum Sutesco (two of them), Ayensuano (three), Akim Oda (two), Upper Manya, precisely Nkurakan Presby (three), Atiwa (one) and Upper West Akim (two).

Three female inmates from the Nsawam Prisons are also taking part in the examination at the Nsawam Presby Primary.

The Eastern Regional Director of Education, Mrs. Rosetta Addison Sackey, in an interview with Daily Guide, expressed worry about the incidence of teenage pregnancies.

She therefore called on parents and guardians to advise their children and wards to desist from immoral practices.