Stakeholders at the Northern Regional Coordinating Council’s (NRCC) end-of-year meeting are calling for investigations into the upsurge of pregnant school-going girls during the just ended West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

The stakeholders are keen on knowing why 191 WASSCE candidates were pregnant.

They want to know if it is student-to-student affairs that are resulting in these pregnancies or affairs with older men, and how to address the menace.

The stakeholders made this call at the end of year meeting organised by the NRCC

The Northern Region recorded a total of 191 pregnancy cases in 25 schools; 111 of which were nursing mothers while writing the exams, 63 were still pregnant at the time of the exam, and 17 absented themselves due to their pregnancies.

Zabzugu Senior High School recorded the highest with 29 cases whiles Wapuli Day Senior High School recorded the least with one pregnancy case.

Presenting the educational situation of the Region to the stakeholders, the Northern Regional Director of Education, Peter Attaffuah said there was the need to address these concerns swiftly.

He said the wish of the Ghana Education Service (GES) is that these girls do not get pregnant at all but if it happens there is the need for them to be encouraged to stay in school until they complete.

The Regional Director commended a student of the Gushiegu Senior High School who went into labour after her first paper, gave birth and returned to write her second paper.

Commenting on the results of the WASSCE, he said since 2018, the Region has been one of the least performing regions in the country.

He said the GES has met with various stakeholders including chiefs to garner their support to address the issue.

 Dr. Attaffuah said the region is yet to compile the 2021 WASCE results.

The Northern Regional Minister, Shaani Alhassan Sayibu commended REGSEC for the swift intervention on issues of security in the region.

He said the region has enjoyed relative peace and thanked various security agencies for their dedication, commitment and professionalism when it comes to tackling security issues that have the tendency of distracting peace and security in the region.

He called for continuous coordination among the various stakeholders in bringing the needed development.