BY IRENE MOYO VICTORIA FALLS-BASED poet Obert Dube has added his voice to the escalating problem of school dropouts amid reports that most of these children’s parents were in the diaspora.
His remarks follow Family Aids Caring Trust Zimbabwe’s exposé that close to 20 000 girls, mostly from marginalised and poor families, dropped out of school since the outbreak of COVID-19 due to factors such as child marriages, early pregnancies and HIV and Aids.
Dube lashed out at parents in the diaspora for not ensuring that their children are left in the care of responsible guardians.
“Leaving your child with an irresponsible relative is a great mistake. Most of these relatives do not even attend school meetings and have the contacts of a teacher who teaches the child,” he said.
“Some relatives receive money for school fees from the parents in the diaspora, but they do not pay. They waste the money probably because no one will be pushing to see receipts to confirm payment.
“This, therefore, leads to a huge number of dropouts who then indulge in drugs and sex resulting in teenage pregnancies. Parents should put education on the forefront, making sure that their children access the quality education they deserve instead of relying on relatives who cannot be trusted.
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