By Diana Wenwa
School romance in mixed schools has been cited as a significant factor affecting academic performance.
Speaking at Bumala Secondary School during a bursary cheque issuance event for bright but needy students, Butula Mp Oyula Joseph H. Maero expressed deep concern over the detrimental impact of student romances on academic results.
He noted a marked decline in national examination scores in many mixed and day schools, attributing this drop to entrenched romantic relationships among students.
“School romance has become rampant, leading to teenage pregnancies and the normalization of school-going mothers, which severely hampers academic performance,” Oyula remarked.
“This cultural shift poses a significant threat to the educational standards in our sub-county,” he added.
He urged the community to adopt a collective approach to tackle issues affecting the younger generation, emphasizing the pervasive moral decay within society.
“It is everyone’s responsibility to protect our youth from engaging in irresponsible sexual behavior, which has led to an increase in teenage pregnancies and school dropouts,” he stressed.
Oyula also addressed the issue of school principals frequently sending students home for unpaid school fees.
He highlighted that the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) and county bursary schemes have covered 85% of day school fees in most schools. He urged principals to be lenient and avoid sending students home daily for fees and encouraged parents to pay arrears with food items or through service contributions.
During the event, over 5,000 students in secondary and tertiary institutions received bursaries totaling Ksh 45 million, with each applicant receiving Ksh 5,000. The students were encouraged to demonstrate the value of this support to motivate the NG-CDF board to increase future allocations.
County Children’s Officer Esther Wasige highlighted that Butula Subcounty leads in teenage pregnancy cases within Busia County. She attributed this alarming trend to the limited access to programs aimed at protecting children’s rights.
The event underscored the urgent need for community involvement and strategic interventions to address the growing challenges of school romance and its impact on academic performance in mixed schools.