Stakeholders in the Acholi sub-region have called for stronger community efforts to keep girls in school, warning that teenage pregnancy, early marriage and school dropout are undermining children’s education and future opportunities.

The concerns have prompted renewed calls for parents, school administrators, cultural leaders and local authorities to address the social and economic factors that expose girls to early pregnancy and marriage, while ensuring that financial demands do not prevent children from accessing education.

The concerns come against a national backdrop in which about 24% of girls aged 15–19 have begun childbearing, according to the 2022 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey, as cited by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

In northern Uganda, the situation is particularly concerning in vulnerable communities. A 2024 study published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth found that 41.2% of 306 teenage girls surveyed in Palabek Refugee Settlement in Lamwo District had experienced teenage pregnancy.

The study identified several associated factors, including being out of school, alcohol use and family circumstances.

The researchers cautioned that the findings reflected the surveyed population in the settlement and should not be interpreted as a prevalence rate for all girls in Lamwo or the wider Acholi sub-region.

Kitgum district LC5 chairperson Tony Blair said learners should not be sent home over unpaid school contributions, arguing that keeping children in class was essential to protecting them from social challenges, including teenage pregnancy and involvement in criminal gangs.

Blair said voluntary contributions from parents could help government-aided schools bridge funding gaps, but stressed that such payments should not become a condition for learners to attend school.

“I have never stopped voluntary contributions from parents. Even as I speak, I am appealing to those who can afford to support schools to do so because these contributions give government-aided schools relief,” Blair said.

He cited Section 9(2) of the Education Act in defending voluntary parental contributions, while cautioning school administrators against denying learners access to education because their parents had failed to pay.

Blair expressed concern about school absenteeism and low enrolment in some communities, saying some primary schools serving entire parishes had fewer than 300 registered learners, despite census figures indicating that more than 2,000 people below the age of 17 lived in some of the areas.

However, he acknowledged that the district did not have consolidated figures establishing the number of children out of school or girls affected by teenage pregnancy.

He urged parents to take greater responsibility for guiding their children and encouraging them to remain in school rather than enter early marriages.

Mirriam Mutesi, a social worker and human rights advocate with Women’s Pro Bono Initiative, attributed teenage pregnancy and early marriage in parts of Acholi to poverty, harmful cultural beliefs and inadequate awareness of the consequences of the practices.

Mutesi said some families continued to view girls as a source of wealth through marriage payments, potentially encouraging early marriages and interrupting girls’ education. She urged parents and guardians to prioritise their daughters’ welfare and education instead of treating them as an economic resource.

Tracy Nabale, the legal officer at Women’s Pro Bono Initiative, called for increased community sensitisation to challenge practices that expose girls to early marriage and pregnancy.

Nabale said parents, cultural leaders and other community members needed to work together to protect girls’ rights, promote gender equality and ensure that girls had the same opportunities as boys to complete their education.

The organisation has raised concern over reports indicating that teenage pregnancy and early marriage affect between 30% and 50% of adolescent girls in parts of the Acholi sub-region.

However, the precise geographical coverage, timeframe and methodology behind these estimates require further verification before they can be treated as representative regional statistics.

LC5 chairperson Tolit also raised concern about girls dropping out of school and young mothers facing difficulties in raising children, particularly where family relationships break down.

He said some children were left in the care of their grandmothers after their mothers entered marriages that later failed, highlighting the wider family responsibilities that can follow early relationships and parenthood.

The district chairperson called for stronger parental guidance and responsible adult role models, warning against sexual relationships involving children. He said adults and community leaders had a responsibility to guide young people and protect them from circumstances that could jeopardise their education and wellbeing.

Stakeholders say keeping girls in school requires more than urging them to avoid early pregnancy and marriage. Families must provide guidance and support, schools must remain accessible, and communities must challenge beliefs and practices that place girls at a disadvantage.

They are also calling for local authorities and civil society organisations to strengthen awareness of children’s rights and improve access to sexual and reproductive health information and services.

Blair said parents who could afford to support school development should continue making voluntary contributions, while insisting that children should not be excluded from learning because their families could not pay.

Stakeholders argue that protecting girls’ education is critical to improving their prospects and helping communities address the cycle of poverty, early marriage and school dropout.