About 40 girls and four boys have reportedly dropped out of school in Lundazi district of Eastern Province in preference for marriage.
This is according to the third-quarter report by the District Guidance and Counselling in Lundazi District.
District Guidance Officer Judith Lona revealed that 36 girls fell pregnant during the period under review.
Ms. Lona made the revelation during the Ministry of Education Stakeholders meeting.
Meanwhile, the Guidance and Counselling Department says it will not relent in making sure girls have access to education regardless of the difficulties they face.
District Guidance Officer Judith Lona stated that so far, 12 out of the 40 girls have been retrieved and taken back to school.
She said her department faced challenges retrieving the rest of the girls, as they were reported to have run into Malawi to avoid being tracked and taken back to school.
Ms. Lona also said six girls were being transferred to other schools so they could continue schooling without disruptions.
The Department is targeting three schools – Pharaza, Chigona, and Malawila – which reported high numbers of school dropouts in the district.
Pharaza had two boys and seven girls drop out of school in the third quarter of 2024, while Chigona had eight boys and seven girls dropouts.
Malawila Primary School reported no boy dropouts but six girls left the school in the same period.
Ms. Lona expressed concern over the lack of collaboration from parents during the process of retrieving teenagers from marriages.
She disclosed that some parents resist and threaten to use black magic on teachers attempting to retrieve their children from arranged marriages.
