Sixteen Grade 7 pupils from Monozi Primary School in Mbire District could not sit for their Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) exams last week because they were pregnant.
The pregnancies are linked to early child marriages. A teacher revealed this alarming situation during a mobile one-stop centre session at the school.
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Sixteen Grade 7 Pupils Failed To Write ZIMSEC Exams After Getting Pregnant
The teacher, who chose to remain anonymous, said the number of young girls affected by early marriages is increasing.
“We submit monthly reports on school dropouts to the district. We have 16 Grade 7 girls that have failed to sit for their Zimsec examinations, and we have learnt that their parents are not concerned about their education,” the teacher told The Herald.
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These reports have highlighted a growing trend in rural areas, where child marriages and teenage pregnancies are still prevalent. Village leaders and local officials are sounding the alarm as more girls are forced to abandon their education to enter into early marriages.
Ms. Rudo Chidembo, head of Chipita Village, voiced her concerns over the matter. She believes mobile one-stop centres are essential in addressing the issue of early marriages and teenage pregnancies.
“Children remain victims of such acts and it pains me that we have girls who failed to sit for their final examinations because they are pregnant,” she said.
Sixteen Grade 7 Pupils From A Mbire School Failed To Write ZIMSEC Exams After Getting Pregnant [Image: New Zimbabwe]
The fate of the pregnant Grade 7 pupils in Mbire elicited angry reactions online.
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Ntate:
“ZRP, do you have the 16 paedophiles in custody? 12 yr olds aren’t wives or girlfriends. They are kids! We are failing them as a nation!“
Beatrice:
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“This is disgusting. What kind of men do this? If you can’t see the difference between a child and a woman and have no self control; you are a monster. Honestly, castration is necessary.”
Joanah:
“Good morning @PoliceZimbabwe. There are 16 paedophiles in this part of Mbire who raped these kids. The heavy arm of the law must descend on them like an anvil. We expect to hear reports of arrests. We expect to hear their arraignment in court.
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Lioness:
“So heartbreaking, especially that it’s just the tip of an iceberg. Childhood, future and dreams are destroyed in plain sight under society’s watch. These excuses of men should be found and jailed.”-iharare
