The Forum for African Women Educationalist of Zambia has observed that the mushrooming of boarding houses has led to an increase in teenage pregnancies.
FAWEZA Executive Director Agness Shipanuka observed that girls staying in unsupervised boarding houses are more likely to fall pregnant.
Mrs Shipanuka revealed that over 76,567 school girls dropped out of school over a five year period from 2009 to 2013 after falling pregnant.
She said a recent survey in at school in Choma where 30 girls became pregnant in the last school term revealed that 27 of those staying at a boarding house which did not have any adult supervision.
“We have a crisis on our hands as a nation. We are losing a lot of girls from the school system after they get pregnant and not all of them come back after giving birth,” Mrs Shipanuka said.
“About 86 percent of these school dropout occurred in rural areas but at higher Grade levels (10-12), it was more uniform.”
Mrs Shipanuka observed that the despite the re-entry policy being in existence for close to 17 years, there are still less than 40 girls being re-entered after giving birth.
She revealed that only 37.5 percent of the total pregnancies are being readmitted.
Mrs Shipanuka was speaking during a recent media engagement session organised by the Zambia National Education Coalition.
Zambians lack sex education.
The parents fipuba, who do you allow your teenage daughter to go off to a boarding school where there is no adult supervision in dorms?
Boarding houses are people’s last options to access education. No one goes there to get pregnant. Provide the boarding facilities in schools if you are a concerned organization. Address issues of morality, school boarding facilities not boarding houses!
Teachers should stop also selling us to Elderly men who come often from Lusaka calling us village chickens
This is common especially in Mbila Itezhi Tezhi Namwala where we are often given new clothes and perfumes to sleep with big men especially ministers We have often been threatened with expulsion and failure if we reveal
Gov also needs to build more schools near villages to avoid us travelling from Dam Five in Itezhi tezhi to either Namwala or Itezhi for school often staying in rented houses near teachers were we are abused
Its same thing in namwala and mbila areas Gov needs to help us to avoid catching HIV and Aids before proceeding to study at UNZA
SAVE THE GIRL CHILD from…
Chinese Road in choma mbabala mbila areas ,contractors who also often bribing teachers for child sex with school children teachers given a lot of money same is common with Zesco namwala employees who speak to teachers for sex for colleagues from lusaka