Africa-Press – Tanzania. A TOTAL of 294 pupils and students from 20 Primary and Secondary Schools in Chamwino and Singida District Council dropped out of school during 2018 due to various reasons, including unfriendly learning environment.
A report prepared by Action Aid under the project “demolishing barriers to discrimination, Tax Justice and Gender Equality on the provision of education services,” noted that the dropout was 2.4 per cent and that is an increase in comparison to 2017, when 186 students (1.7per cent) dropped out of school.
Presenting the report to education stakeholders from the two councils of Chamwino in Dodoma Region and Ilongero in Singida Region, Mr Jacob Kateri, who conducted the study in January last year, said that out of 294 students who left school during the period, 165 were boys and 129 girls.
“This 2.4 per cent dropout is too high in the interest of the Basic Education Statistics in Tanzania (BEST)….this indicates that during the period, only 0.7 per cent of the students dropped out of school,” he added.
Mr Kateri cited some of the reasons for the dropout as some becoming pregnant, some transferred without providing information and notice, and unfriendly school environment especially for adolescent girls as well as truancy, making it register above 30 per cent.
He named the schools in the research from Chamwino District as Buigiri Mission, Chamwino, Mahama, Makang’wa, Mapinduzi, Matembe, Msanga Primary Schools, Chamwino, Mlowa Barabarani and Msanga Secondary Schools.
Others from Singida District Council were Endeshi, Ikumese, Ilongero, Kafanabo, Madamigha, Mghunga and Mtinko primary schools, Ilongero, Mtinko and Mwanamwema Shein Secondary Schools.
Elaborating, Project Manager for Action Aid, Mr Karoli Kadege said there was a need for every stakeholder to have a gender balance eye on the issue, especially during school enrollment exercise, adding that every child has the basic right to education regardless of his/her physical disability.
“An educated child with a disability reduces the burden of his/ her parent’s responsibilities,” he said, while urging parents and guardians to look into the possibility of helping students, who become pregnant while still in school.
Debating the issue, the stakeholders said there was a need for every parent/guardian to ensure that every pupil continues with his studies until he graduates, instead of leaving the responsibility entirely to the teachers.
