Poverty, abuse fuel school dropouts
Children in Salima District have attributed school dropouts to poverty and various forms of abuse, including child marriages.
Addressing the audience on Wednesday at Chipoka Secondary School during the first Children’s Parliament for the district, the Speaker, Malizani Luckson, said some learners drop out of school due to lack of fees.
He said: “Some parents are failing to provide their children with basic needs, including school fees which lead to dropouts.
“Girls go through many unpleasant experiences such as sexual abuse and early marriages, making it difficult for them proceed with their education.”
Luckson asked authorities to increase school bursaries to support needy children, especially girls in school.
During the deliberations, other parliamentarians asked authorities to give stiffer punishments to perpetrators of children’s rights violations.
Speaking in an interview, Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Principal Secretary (administration) Nwazi Mnthambala said government will make sure that the issues addressed by the children are tackled through the National Assembly.
She said: “It is true that as a country we are still fighting child abuse and have not finished solving problems such as sexual abuse and child labour.
“This problem has been raised by children during deliberations in Children’s Parliament in several districts. As ministry, we will work hard to protect children from all sorts of abuse.”
The Children’s Parliament was supported by Malawi Government and non-governmental organisations such as Save the Children, Women’s Legal Resource Centre and others.
