High school dropout for girls worries Chiradzulu DEM

District Education Manager (DEM) for Chiradzulu, Harris Kachale has expressed concern over the high number of girls who are dropping out of School despite the assistance they get from development partners in the district.

Keeping girls in school
Keeping girls in school

Kachale expressed the concern at St Louis Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) during interface meetings with parents, school management and chiefs to address the issue. The meeting was organized by Campaign for Female Education (Camfed), a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) that promotes girls education by sponsoring needy girls.

The meetings were organized against the backdrop of 13 students dropping out from St Louis CDSS since September 2015. Out of 13, 12 are girls who dropped out due to pregnancies and sheer lack of commitment towards education.

“Honestly speaking, the figure is alarming. We are talking of 13 students dropping out of school within a space of eight months from one school. If we just sit in our laurels, then we are retrogressing. Something needs to be done immediately,” said Kachale.

Kachale further expressed concern to note that among the drop outs are students who are on Camfed bursary scheme. He added that his office would look for funds to hold such meetings in all the CDSSs in the district.

On this note, the Manager urged all stakeholders to join hands in ensuring that once they have enrolled, girls should finish and pass Malawi School Certificate of Examination (MSCE) for them (girls) to contribute towards the development of the country.

Kachale therefore appealed to all stakeholders to join hands with government to ensure that efforts to promote girls education are sustained and bear desired fruits.

In their remarks, chiefs committed themselves to formulate by laws to check the vice saying the assistance Camfed is giving needy students should not just go down the drain.

“We are equally touched with this number. We will be holding meetings with parents each school term to remind each other on the importance of keeping girls in school,” said Group Village Headman (GVH) Mkwanda of Traditional Authority (T/A)Likoswe.

Students under Camfed bursary scheme are given school fees, note books, sanitary pads, uniform, pens and shoes among others. Currently, Camfed is supporting over 500 needy girls in Chiradzulu.

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