Expelled from School for Being Pregnant: Protection or Abuse?

Just a week before her final examinations, Sarah Namukisa, a student at the Medical Laboratory Training School in Jinja, was abruptly expelled. Her offence? She was pregnant.

Sarah’s story is not an isolated incident; it’s a reflection of a harsh reality faced by thousands of schoolgirls across Uganda. In both public and private institutions, pregnant students are routinely expelled, pressured to drop out, or stigmatised into silence. For many, the dream of education ends with two pink lines on a test.

Labila Sumayah Musoke, a programs officer at the Initiative for Social Rights and Empowerment (ISRE), says that this is often framed as a measure to "protect the school environment" or "maintain moral standards."

“Pregnancy is not a crime, and removing a student from school because she is pregnant does not uphold academic standards or moral values. Expelling a pregnant girl does not solve the problem. It creates a lifelong crisis,” she said.

She added that this practice is nothing short of institutional abuse and a systemic failure that punishes girls for realities beyond their control and perpetuates inequality in Uganda’s education system.

“Practices like these strip young mothers of their future, expose the government’s failure to create inclusive and supportive learning environments, and seriously hinder Uganda’s progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health), 4 (Quality Education), and 5 (Gender Equality).”

According to the 2024 National Population and Housing Census, nearly 50% of Uganda’s population is under the age of 18. Alarmingly, 26% of primary school-aged children are out of school, with early pregnancy and child marriage among the leading causes. National data further shows that 1 in 4 girls aged 15 to 19 has begun childbearing, and 22% of girls aged 14 to 18 drop out of school due to pregnancy. Of those, only 8% ever return to complete their education.

Other available reports reveal a troubling pattern: instead of receiving care and support, pregnant girls are frequentlystigmatised, isolated, and punished. While some are officially expelled, many others drop out silently, driven away by the fear of shame, bullying, or social rejection.

Celetine Mugenyi, 22, a resident of Makindye, became pregnant during her Senior Four year. Her mother pleaded with the school headteacher, who reluctantly allowed her to sit for her final exams. But with more pressure from home and school after receiving her results, she dropped out.  “At 16, I had to start life on my own. It’s been incredibly hard; most of my teenage years felt wasted. I was unemployable and doing odd jobs just to survive.” 

Last year, Mugenyi took a bold step and enrolled in adult education. She sat for her Senior Six exams and is now preparing to pursue higher education. “To me, education is everything, and I think it is for other girls,” she says. “If a girl still has the will and capacity to learn, she should be given that chance.”

Sarah Opendi, Chairperson of the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association, also raised concerns over the continued expulsion of pregnant students. She argues that as Uganda steps up its fight against teenage pregnancy, there must also be deliberate efforts to support those who become pregnant rather than exclude them.

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Opendi points out that many of the girls who fall pregnant are not acting out of choice, but are victims of abuse, often involving relatives or older men who take advantage of their vulnerability. She emphasises that denying these girls access to education only worsens their situation and undermines efforts toward gender equality and justice.

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However, Rev. Richard Rukondo, the Provincial Coordinator for Youth and Children's Ministry at the Church of Uganda, held a divergent view. He said that pregnant girls should first be sent home for rehabilitation and allowed to return to school only after giving birth. He added that most schools are not equipped with the necessary facilities to support expectant students, which could create additional challenges. According to Rukondo, allowing time for recovery and proper care at home can help these girls return as more focused and prepared students.

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Sumayah Musoke disagreed with this narrative. According to her, schools should support rather than expel pregnant girls. She noted that many schools use morality as a justification, claiming that pregnant students set a bad example. However, she says there is no evidence that these girls are more immoral than others, and if they are healthy, they should be allowed to continue learning.

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Musoke further added that the longer a girl stays out of school, the less likely she is to return. For many, expulsion ends their hopes of becoming professionals and increases the risk of poverty, early marriage, and continued abuse.

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Julius Musaasizi Kizito, the Buikwe District Education Officer, also emphasised that it is time for communities to acknowledge the reality of teenage pregnancy among school-going girls. He stressed that the issue goes beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and called for a fundamental change in how schools handle pregnant students.

“We often say, ‘If you get pregnant, we will take action,’ yet girls continue to become pregnant. When that happens, what is the solution—send them away?” he questioned.

He recounted an incident where a headteacher allowed a pregnant student to remain in school, only to face backlash from the community and the school’s governing body, who accused the school of encouraging immoral behaviour. Kizito further criticised religious leaders who oppose keeping pregnant girls in school without offering any practical solutions.

“They say, ‘We don’t want them here,’ but the reality is that the girl is already pregnant. Expelling her only takes away her chance at a better future. Religious institutions and communities need to acknowledge the current realities, rather than clinging to outdated moral positions that do more harm than good.”   //Cue in; “I want to... Cue out...have no problems.”//   Kizito also highlighted the absence of support systems for pregnant girls who wish to continue their education. “Who takes care of the baby when the mother is in class? Should we consider establishing daycare centres within schools?”

Commenting on the matter, Grace Mutyabya, a mother of four from Wakiso, expresses mixed feelings about the issue.

"I'm torn," she admits. "As a parent, I believe in discipline and setting standards, but I also know that life is not always black and white. If a girl is pregnant, does that mean she should lose her education entirely? I’m not sure expelling her helps anyone. At the same time, I understand the concerns schools and communities have. It’s not an easy situation."

Grace says that instead of quick punishments, schools and families need to have deeper conversations about how to handle such cases with care and responsibility. "These girls still have a future, and we shouldn't close the door on them too quickly."

After COVID-19, when many teenage mothers became pregnant during the lockdown, the Ministry of Education softened policies to allow pregnant and breastfeeding girls to remain in school. Education Minister Janet Kataha Museveni launched a campaign supporting their reintegration.

Some schools and NGOs began offering programs to help young mothers return to class. For example, in districts like Otuke, over 1,363 teenagers got pregnant between January and July 2021, and many were supported to continue their education.

Several schools created spaces to accommodate expectant and breastfeeding girls, following government directives that allowed them back after the disruptions caused by the pandemic. However, in other districts like Kumi and Kaberamaido, many girls stayed away from school due to social stigma and other pressures.

But, as the days of COVID-19 fade in the minds of many, the softened policies allowing pregnant girls to stay in school appear to be slipping. Community and school attitudes are shifting back toward stricter, less supportive approaches and returning to the old practices of exclusion and stigma.