Girl school drop-out rate worries Machinga District Council

Machinga District Council has bemoaned high levels of girl dropout rates in schools despite their commitment to keeping them in school.

Margret Uladi the Machinga District Council Chair made the remarks over the weekend at Ngokwe Community Day Secondary School.

She said this during events to promote parents’ engagement in girl’s education as Machinga records high girl dropouts due to child marriages and teenage pregnancies.

Uladi said it is unfortunate to record high girl dropout rates in the district despite having partners such as Campaign for Female Education (Camfed) in the district that is also promoting girls education through provision of bursaries and other educational entitlements to girls from poor households.

The open day was held under the theme ‘Parents active engagement in girl’s education, Key to reducing dropouts’.

Uladi then called on parents in the district to support girls in their efforts to excel in education noting that some girls in the district drop out of school due to pressure from parents to get married.

“Let girls remain in school as educating girls is a good investment,” Uladi said as she pledged the council’s support.

In her remarks, District Education Manager (DEM) for Machinga, Sarah Khozi bemoaned the dropout rates saying Machinga continues to record high girl dropout rates amidst a lot of resources being allocated towards the girls’ education.

Since 2009 Camfed has been providing; school fees, uniforms, school bags, shoes and socks, hard covers and larger size exercise books, mathematical instruments, scientific calculators and sanitary wear to needy girls.

Camfed supports girls from secondary school to tertiary level with all necessary support though only less than 10 Camfed supported girls in Machinga have gone to University since 2009.

Commenting on the same, Traditional Authority (T/A) Ngokwe urged his fellow traditional leaders to stop all child marriages in their respective villages saying the district’s record of girls’ education is disturbing.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!