The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) has reported that more girls than boys are dropping out of secondary school, and that child pregnancies are still a problem for Mashonaland Central and the Midlands provinces despite their best efforts to stop the scourge.
Speaking at a workshop on the provincial profiles, district data sheets, and provincial GDP dissemination for the 2022 Population and Housing Census in Bulawayo, ZimStat representative Tawanda Chingozha stated that Mashonaland Central and Midlands are facing persistently high rates of teen pregnancies.
“Looking at the Progress Index Calculation, these provinces are the least performers across the country,” he said.
Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West and Masvingo provinces were classified as “average performers”, indicating some progress, but still falling short of desired outcomes.
“This suggests that while these provinces are making strides, further interventions are necessary to effectively combat the issue of teen fertility,” Chingozha said.
ZimStat demography and social statistics director Aluwisio Mukavhi said more girls are dropping out of school compared to boys, especially at the secondary level.
“At primary level, the proportion of children out of school was higher for males 3,8 % as compared to females 3,4 %. For lower secondary school level, the proportion was higher in females 11% compared to males 7,7 %,” Mukavhi said.
He said Bulawayo lags in school attendance due to dropouts.
