The Government says it has launched a programme to trace and reintegrate learners who have dropped out of school, following revelations that nearly 40,000 pupils left the education system in 2025 due to a range of challenges.
According to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) report, a total of 39,736 learners dropped out last year, comprising 13,032 primary school pupils and 26,704 secondary school learners.
The report attributes the dropouts mainly to financial constraints, early marriages, teenage pregnancies and child labour.
At the primary level, 116 pupils reportedly left school due to marriage, while 102 dropped out as a result of pregnancy.
The report also shows that 138 learners with special needs discontinued their education, with cases almost evenly split between boys and girls.
Responding to the findings, ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said the government is treating the matter with urgency.
He stressed that every child who leaves school prematurely represents a loss to the country’s future and must be brought back into the education system where possible.
“The ministry views the EMIS report with the seriousness it deserves, and every learner who leaves school prematurely represents a loss that the ministry is determined to reverse,” Ndoro said.
Ndoro said the ministry is rolling out a multi-pronged strategy to reduce school dropouts, centred on an Early Warning System (EWS), re-entry policies and community involvement.
The Early Warning System, integrated into the EMIS platform, tracks learners at risk by monitoring absenteeism, declining performance and vulnerability factors such as orphanhood and poverty.
He said that when learners are flagged, school-based teams (teachers, counsellors and School Development Committees) carry out home visits to identify challenges and design support plans.
Ndoro said strengthened guidance and counselling services are being used to address issues such as child marriage and gender-based violence.
The Re-Entry Policy allows pregnant girls and young mothers to return to school without discrimination after childbirth.
He explained that a shift has been made towards active tracing and reintegration, with real-time tracking of absentee learners and door-to-door follow-ups by district officials, social workers and community leaders.
The programme is coordinated through the National Case Management System in partnership with the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.
Once traced, learners are offered flexible reintegration pathways, including accelerated learning programmes.
More: The Herald
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