According to Amandru, mentoring by teachers and peers inspires the girl child to proceed with education, adding that there is need for teachers to walk away from the general classroom atmosphere to individual mentorship of the girl child.
"We need deliberate mentor-ship programs in schools to bridge the gap of poor performance, which will help solve the issue of repeated retakes," she said. Speaking during the celebrations of the girl child at Arua police grounds on Tuesday, Amandru challenged Arua District authorities to create mentoring training programs for teachers, tutors and lecturers who will in turn mentor learns to bridge the gap, which affects the girl child. 70 percent of the girls in Arua district dropout of school before completing primary seven.
This year only 2000 of the 8400 primary seven candidates are girls. Genesis Acema, the Arua LC V vice chairperson, blames the high girl dropout rates in the district on defilement, child marriages and elopement. He directed the Chief Administrative Officer, to interdict all civil servants implicated for defilement and eloping with young girls. According to Acema, despite enacting the education ordinance in 2008, which prohibits teenage marriage, it hasn't been effective.
Fiona Ayikoru, a Senior 4 student of Muni Girls Secondary School faulted some teachers for engaging in sexual relationship with their students, which diverts their focus.
Rachael Okecha, a senior 5 student of Ediofe Girls' secondary school says many parents tend to force their teenage daughters into marriage so to get wealth.
She appeals to government enforcement agencies to bring all perpetrators to book. On December 19, 2011, United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 66/170 and declared October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize girls' rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.