After more than 50 000 pupils dropped out of secondary school in 2021 for several reasons that included pregnancy, the figures for last year show far fewer dropping out, statistics from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education presented to Parliament yesterday show.
The statistics were presented to the Thematic Committee of Gender and Community Development by chief director for learners welfare, psychological services and special needs Ms Kwadzanai Nyanhungo.
“The 2021 overall total number of school dropouts at secondary level, due to a variety of reasons, was 50 744, almost double that for primary schools,” she said.
“Comparative statistics for 2022 are yet to be validated. The pattern of abscondments at secondary school level shows a higher dropout rate for male than female pupils in 2021.
“Out of the overall total, 633 male and 8 063 female pupils, a total of 8 696 dropped out of school due to marriage in 2021 and, in 2022 , there were 305 male and 5 385 female pupils that dropped out due to marriage, a significant reduction to 5 691, compared to 2021.
“From the same overall figure, 157 male and 5 747 female pupils (total 5904) dropped out due to pregnancy in 2021, compared to the 2022 statistics of 78 male and 4462 female pupils. The 2022 total pregnancy drop out figure of 4 540 shows a decrease from the previous year total of 5 904.”
The report also showed that a total of 18 916 primary school pupils dropped out of school for various reasons in 2021 with the ministry still compiling the figures for 2022.
“A total of 389 female pupils and 2 males dropped out due to marriages, bringing the total for 2021 to 391. In 2022 the statistics show an increase in male to nine and a reduction in the number of female pupils who dropped out due to marriage. For 2021 there 238 female pupils and 27 males, total 265 who dropped out due to pregnancy-related reasons in 2021. For the year 2022, the affected male pupils were reduced to 9 and female pupils went down to 156,” Ms Nyanhungo said.
The ministry said survivors of teen pregnancy, under-age marriages and sexual abuse faced a number of challenges that include absence of effective guidance and counselling and child-protection committee structures at some schools.
Without a systematic psychosocial support system, some pupils might avoid going back to school after their pregnancy, illegal marriage or abusive encounter. – The Herald
