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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter

AT LEAST 14 600 pupils, including 238 primary school girls dropped out of school last year due to issues related to pregnancy and child marriages. The prolonged school closure due to the Covid-19 lockdown also contributed to the spike in dropout incidences. The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education revealed this in its 2021 Primary and Secondary Education Statistics Report.

The report shows that 69 660 pupils dropped out of school last year, the highest in four years. Of those, 50 744 were in secondary school while 18 916 were at primary level. In 2017, the country recorded a higher figure of 70 608 school drop schools.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education attribute the spike in school dropout incidences to the Covid-19 lockdown. Some of the reasons that contributed to learners dropping out of school include financial challenges, child labour, illnesses and special needs for learners with disabilities.

According to the report, 8 063 girls dropped out of secondary school due to marriage while 633 boys left school for similar reasons. “In 2021, the primary school dropouts remained at 0,53 percent. The proportion of secondary school dropouts also decreased annually, from 3,99 percent in 2017 to 3,09 percent in 2019,” read the report.

“Since then, the proportion increased to 3,28 in 2020 and 4,67 in 2021. The recent increase in secondary dropouts can be attributed to the impact of Covid-19, which contributed to the highest percentage proportion, while 2019 had the lowest proportion (3.09 percent).”

The report shows that between 2017 and 2021 males constituted the majority of yearly dropouts at primary level while the majority of dropouts at secondary level of education were females. “The second highest proportions (36, 93 percent) for male secondary school learners absconded, while the second highest proportions of their female counterparts dropped out of school to get married. It is also important to note that the third highest proportion of female secondary dropped out of school after falling pregnant,” reads the report. In an interview, Primary and Secondary Education Ministry communications and advocacy director Mr Taungana Ndoro said the report gives a status report of the country’s education sector.

He said the statistics on child marriages and pregnancy are shocking as they reflect some of the challenges affecting the society. According to the country’s laws it is illegal to marry someone who is under the age of 18 years.

“The statistics on child marriages and pregnancies are shocking and they are a reflection of the impact of Covid-19 to the education sector. While the pregnancies were recorded in 2021, some of them may have consummated in 2020 when our pupils stayed for up to six months without going to school as a result of the national lockdown,” said Mr Ndoro.

He said it is however, encouraging that some of the pupils who fell pregnant have since returned to school in line with the country’s education policy.

In terms of the amended Education Act, State schools can no longer exclude girls who fall pregnant from attending lessons.

“We have quite a number of pregnant girls who returned to school, some after delivering. However, the case is somehow different with those who have been married off as their husbands are not allowing them to continue with education,” said Mr Ndoro.

“We hold sensitisation meetings with communities to encourage them to allow girls to continue with their education despite falling pregnant.” Gender activist Ms Lezina Mohammed said it is worrying that some of the girls are victims of sexual abuse.

“Most of these girls fell pregnant during the height of Covid-19 when there were national lockdowns. Some of the girls were impregnated by their neighbours and others by close relatives,” she said.

“More needs to be done to protect the girl child and also there is need to extend sex education to protect the girl.”

Padare/Enkundleni programmes officer Mr Ziphongezipho Ndebele said it is tragic that minors continue falling pregnant and getting married illegally.

“You will discover that children, some of them as young as 10 years are being impregnated by older men. We lobby that the law must take its course in such instances,” he said.

“The parents of some of these children are also liable because when they marry off a child, they will be expecting to get a lobola incentive. The society needs to be educated that having sexual relations with minor children is a criminal offence and destroys a child’s future.” Mr Ndebele said the society should also understand that children are prone to making mistakes by falling pregnant hence they should not be denied a second chance.

“By denying that girl child a second chance it means they are destroying the future of that particular child including that of the unborn child. They will be condemning the child to poverty,” said Mr Ndebele. – @nqotshili