Chronicle Editor
THE Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), an international online resource that teachers, administrators and school staff can visit each day to find high-quality and in-depth original content on education recommends that each country should develop a comprehensive plan to reduce school dropout rates.
According to SREB, a comprehensive plan would include the following components: a system to identify at-risk students early, alternative programmes that lead to a diploma (or any basic qualification) for those who have dropped out, a state-level tracking system that follows students’ movements among schools and districts to help provide information on who drops out and why, a credible, reliable definition of dropout that is consistently used, challenging academic, vocational, and technical programmes and a system to evaluate the effectiveness of dropout prevention programmes.
That every child must attend school until they get to tertiary level cannot be debated. Every child needs education so that can develop into knowledgeable, skilled and useful members of the community and the country at large. News that a number of children continue to drop out of school countrywide was a bit depressing.
Our sister paper, Chronicle, reported last week that more boys in Matabeleland South were dropping out of school compared to girls at both primary and lower secondary school levels, according to a Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) report. According to the 2022 Populations and Housing Census results for Matabeleland South that were presented at a dissemination meeting held in Gwanda recently, the proportion of male children who were out of school is 29,2 percent at lower secondary level compared to 20,1 percent females.
At primary level, the proportion of children out of school for males was 9,3 percent compared to females with 7,7 percent.
The report said Matabeleland South province, which is largely rural, continues to record high cases of school drop-outs.
Some of the causes include financial challenges, long distances to school, illegal mining activities, migration, teenage pregnancies, and loss of interest in school.
Presenting the report, ZimStat demography and social statistics director, Mr Aluwisio Mukavhi, said 1,9 percent of households in the province were headed by children. He said out of 361 257 children aged 0-17 years, 10,3 percent were orphans. The prevalence of orphanhood ranged from 5,7 percent in Beitbridge Urban to 12,9 percent in Bulilima.
“At primary level, the proportion of children out of school was higher for males with 9,3 percent when compared to females, with 7,7 percent. For lower secondary level, the proportion was higher for males with 29,2 percent, compared to females with 20,1 percent. A total of 680 201 persons were aged four and above. Of these, 94,1 percent had attended school at some point, while 4,8 percent had never attended school at all,” said Mr Mukavhi.
There is therefore need for a stakeholder approach to come up with ways to make sure that children continue with their schooling. There are a number of negative things that may befall a child who has dropped out of school, such as early pregnancy and getting involved in alcohol, drugs and crime.
A child who has dropped out of school also lacks basic skills and academic knowledge, which affects their decision-making and impacts negatively on their life choices.
It is therefore important that the nation comes together and comes up with ways to keep every child at school. Those who have dropped out need to be followed up and remedial action taken to ensure that they get a basic education and prepare for a better future.
Online Reporter