Katine girls receive bursaries to study at secondary school

In an effort to increase attendance at secondary school among girls from Katine sub-county, 25 young women who recently passed their primary leaving exams have received scholarships to study for the next four years. The scholarships have been given by the Mvule Trust , a Uganda-based NGO working to support young people in the Teso region of the country, in which Katine is found, through their education. Funding for the scholarships was raised by readers through the Guardian's Christmas appeal last year. The scholarships will pay for tuition fees, uniforms, a mattress and scholastic materials and should fund the girls up to their O-level year. The 25 girls, who all received second grade scores in their primary leaving exams (the highest is grade one), have now left their day schools and have joined a boarding school in Soroti district. According to Adreen Kanyesigye, an officer from Mvule, the decision to pull the girls out of their day schools and into a boarding schools was because it would give the girls more time and space to concentrate on their studies. She said girls who study in day schools and live at home often have to do a lot of housework and some have long distances to walk to and from class, which makes them vulnerable to attack. Girls who live away from home, but not in school grounds, are at high risk of dropping out because they are exposed to temptations. "We want them to concentrate so we are taking them to a boarding school to avoid issues of early marriages and pregnancies, which are still a big challenge in Katine," said Kanyesigye. "For example, if a girl slept hungry and there is this man willing to give her money to buy food, what do you expect next? Pregnancy." She added: "It would be a waste of resources sponsoring girls in day schools who would eventually drop out because of pregnancy." One girl from a Katine village missed out on a scholarship when it was discovered she had been married off earlier this year. Sister Mary Alebo, headteacher of the boarding school, said the school expects girls to work hard. "Once you come here, be sure that you meet our standards. Short of that means you pack and go," she said. But she is confident the girls will succeed. Performance in primary exams is not necessarily an indicator of success at secondary school. Her teachers have the capacity to make every student pass their secondary exams, said Alebo. The school's best O-level student last year didn't achieved very high marks in her primary leaving exams. In 2007, the Ugandan government abolished tuition fees in public secondary schools to increase access. However, at present, the money allocated to schools only covers the first three years, which means parents have the find the money for fees to put their children through their O-level exams. Parents also still have to pay for books and pens. Only a small minority of families in the Teso region can afford to put their children through secondary school. When there is money for education, boys are usually sent to school rather than girls, who are needed to work around the home or can be married off. Kanyesigye said the scholarship allocation would be reviewed annually and girls' class performance and discipline will be monitored. Any of the girls who become pregnant will have their bursaries withdrawn.