Education officials in Chinsali District, located in Zambia’s Muchinga Province, are addressing a sharp rise in early marriages and pregnancies among schoolgirls in Kambwi village. Katele Kalale, the District Education Board Secretary, described the trend as alarming, noting that some girls are being married at just sixteen years old. These concerns were validated during meetings with traditional leaders and community representatives, who confirmed that such unions and early pregnancies are widespread in the area.
The severity of the issue was highlighted by statistics from Kambwi Primary School. According to Lusaka Times, Mr. Kalale revealed that five out of twenty-five Grade 7 students were absent due to pregnancy or marriage. Specifically, three girls missed their final exams because of pregnancy, while two others had already been married. "This is out of a total enrolment of 25 grade 7 learners," he stated, emphasizing the need for immediate action to prevent further losses. He stressed that the situation required urgent intervention to protect the educational future of these young girls.
Compounding the issue is significant absenteeism driven by seasonal caterpillar harvesting. Frank Mwenda, the Acting Head Teacher, reported that approximately 150 girls from various classes have left school to participate in the activity. This mass withdrawal has severely impacted lesson delivery, as teachers are forced to spend additional time helping absent students catch up with the curriculum. Mr. Mwenda explained that teaching with reduced class sizes causes those who missed lessons to lag behind, creating a cycle of academic disadvantage.
In response, Mr. Kalale announced that education authorities will return to the area next week. They plan to collaborate with the Departments of Community Development and Health to sensitize parents and guardians about the dangers of marrying off underage girls. Simultaneously, the school administration intends to engage with parents to discourage the practice of allowing children to miss lessons for caterpillar collection. Mr. Kalale urged the community to stop treating these practices as normal simply because they are part of their traditional way of life, asserting that education remains one of the most valuable investments parents can make in their children’s future.