High number of school dropouts worrying in Luangwa

Luangwa District Commissioner, Luke Chikani says government is concerned with the high number of girls that have dropped out of school due to various reasons.

Mr. Chikani said it is in this vein that the government, through the Keeping Girls in School (KGS) project, has come up with the case management system.

He explained that the case management system which is under the KGS bursary initiative is a collaborative disciplined and standardized system that will help bring back girls to school.

The District Commissioner said this when he handed over 17 bicycles to 17 schools implementing the Keeping Girls in School project in the district.

Mr. Chikani said the system is designed to detect, prevent and deter factors that have the potential to derail girls’ progression in school.

“This approach provides holistic services to girls identified to be in need,” he said.

The district commissioner further said the case management system under the Keeping Girls in School also strengthens the capacity of school guidance and counselling teachers on how to identify and respond to the needs of girls on the project.

He added that the provision of bicycles as means of transport will help follow up drop out cases at all levels in schools in the district.

Meanwhile Luangwa District Education Board Secretary, Benjamin Chisulo, noted that a girl child is vulnerable where education is concerned.

Father Chisulo added that a girl child drops out of school due to various reasons such as early marriages, pregnancies and death and 43 girls dropped out of school in the district in the year 2022.

And Kapoche Secondary School Head Teacher, Mwangi Haninga thanked the government for the intervention on the girl child school dropouts.

Mr. Mwangi said the intervention by the government will create an impact of reality in the case management system.

The head teacher assured the government that the responsible school managers will ensure that they utilize the bicycles to reach out to the girls that had dropped out of school.

“With these bicycles we shall ensure that the girls that need intervention and support will be reached as well as possible efforts will be made to bring them back to school”.