Over 4,500 Zimbabwean Schoolchildren Fell Pregnant In 2023
In 2023, more than 4,500 learners in Zimbabwe dropped out of school due to pregnancy, including at least 150 in primary school.
These alarming statistics were disclosed by Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Edgar Moyo during a parliamentary session on Wednesday, in response to questions from lawmakers.
In reply to Mashonaland West Proportional Representative MP Mutsa Murombedzi, who inquired about the government’s initiatives to address school dropouts, Minister Moyo said:
The ministry collects and collates such data on an annual basis and it is recorded in our Education Management Information System report shared with all stakeholders.
Therefore, for the year ending December 2023, 4 557 girls dropped out of school due to pregnancy, the majority of these (3 942) being from rural schools.
134 girls dropped out of primary school as a result of pregnancy, meaning that the majority of dropouts were recorded in secondary schools.
Minister Moyo said the Ministry has introduced several measures such as career guidance and counselling to arrest the scourge of school dropouts, especially among pregnant girls. He said:
Through the Education Act, the ministry has also ensured that legal provisions are there to enable girls who fall pregnant to continue with their education.
The Minister also said several measures have been instituted to protect girls from stigma when they return to school after giving birth. He said:
On the issue of stigma, we have done a lot of awareness campaigns and also, we have done a lot of dissemination of information in encouraging all the girls who fall pregnant.
It is now their right to education, so they are supposed to go back to school. I do not think we have any challenges for students who have not been — perhaps (they) have received a lot of criticism from their peers for going back to school. So, precisely, quite a number of students have been accepted back and have gone back to school.
Minister Moyo said according to the Education Amendment Act of 2020, girls should not drop out of school for the reason that they are pregnant. He said:
After giving a normal birth, the girl is allowed back to school and that is according to the Constitution. So, we encourage those technical and vocational skills to be equipped for all students regardless of whether one has dropped out or not.
We carry out some fairs with our partners, where we see that provinces encourage girls who might have dropped out to go back to school.
More: Pindula News
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