Rwanda bans mandatory Pregnancy test certificate as schools reopen

By Williams Buningirwe, KIGALI Rwanda

The Rwanda Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) has directed schools to stop asking for mandatory pregnancy test certificates from female students as a requirement for admissions as schools reopen after seven months of temporary closure to combat the further spread of the New Coronavirus.

The directive followed fury on social media after some letters of some schools writing to parents requesting them to send their daughters back to school with certificates showing that they are not pregnant.

Schools are set to reopen for the academic year 2020/2021 on November 2.

The requirement for girls angered rights activists who said the requirement does not only humiliate girls but it is also discriminatory in nature.

MINEDUC directed schools to stop asking for pregnancy test certificates for female students calling it a ‘discriminatory and unjustified practice’.

“The practice of mandatory pregnancy tests for girls as a condition for school admission is discriminatory and unjustified. MINEDUC is carrying out inspections to ensure that schools end this practice,” MINEDUC wrote on Twitter

MINEDUC directive came after schools like Blu Lake International, Gashora Girls, Riviera High School and others made a pregnancy test certificate mandatory for female students reporting at school.

According to the parent’s letter from Blu Lake International School (BLIS), the school management requested parents to present a pregnant test certificate for their children without fail as they report back to school.

The Bugesera district based Blue Lakes International scrapped the requirement following public criticism.

MINEDUC directive and the school’s mandatory pregnancy test certificates requirement came after early pregnancy cases were reported across the country.

For example, in Gatsibo district, in the Eastern Province, 46 school girls were reported pregnant on 19^th October 2020.

Another 170 early pregnancy cases were reported in Rwamagana, also an Eastern Province district in August 2020.

Early this month, Dr. Valentine Uwamariya, the Minister of Education told the media that they were still gathering the numbers of schoolgirls who were pregnant to make sure that they are sent back to school in due time, but also have the perpetrators face the law.