By JULIUS PHIRI –
MORE than 2,000 girls in Sinda, Eastern Province, have dropped out of school after falling pregnant this year alone, education authorities have said.
Sinda District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) Feston Mtonga said Government is worried with the high number of girls dropping out of school because of pregnancies.
“Another worry and biggest challenge we continue to face is early marriage and pregnancies among school girls. From January to date, we have recorded 2,015 pregnancies among school going girls.
“This is an alarming figure and an indication of the illiterate generation that will come due to dropouts,” Mr Mtonga said.
He made the disclosure at Tiritonse Primary School during an orientation meeting involving traditional leaders by the Sinda district administration that a total of 2,015 girls had fallen pregnant from January this year.
He said his office had also continued to experience major challenges, especially with upfront material mobilisation on labour based projects.
Mr Mtonga said the upfront material mobilisation had taken a lot of effort for people to realise that the projects were designed for their own good.
He attributed the delay to complete most projects to shortages of materials which were supposed to be delivered by the community at the project site.
Mr Mtonga noted that the creation of Sinda as a district had seen Government services taken closer to people in the area.
He revealed that adult classes had been opened at Masulwe Primary School as a way of awakening the old generation which might have missed an opportunity to have basic knowledge for personal development.
The number of secondary schools has equally increased from three to six with the upgrading of Seya and Mtandaza, which were Basic schools.
“Once Sinda Day Secondary School is complete and opened, the number will come to seven and the issue of shortages of spaces especially at grade 10 level will be a thing of the past,” he said.
Sinda District Commissioner Paradius Sakala said the district was poised for economic development.
Mr Sakala said he would lobby for the construction of a shopping complex and attract a number of investments in the new district.