Increasing cases of teen pregnancies and early marriages among Kenya Certificate of Primary Education(KCPE)candidates has been blamed for contributing to poor performance in national examinations.
Eburi DEB school head Henry Onchari has regretted that the parents' silence and secrecy around the issues of Gender Based Violence(GBV) cases involving female learners in schools and outside the school environment in the Gusii region, is a major factor contributing to poor performance in among school girls sitting national examinations.
Onchari said many cases of teenage pregnancies in the Gusii region are unreported due to the culture of silence embraced my the community's members.
"Some of the sexual abuse cases happening in the local communities are not reported,because of stigma and fear, while others never reach the corridors of justice due to interference from the clan elders and the local provincial administrators who initiate out of court settlements of defilement cases through traditional courts,commonly known as 'kangaroo courts,"stated Onchari
The headteacher challenged parents to take up their parental roles with the seriousness deserved to ensure their teenage school girls and boys are well counselled and guided to protect them from falling prey to dangerous social habits which compromise their education careers.