Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe Targets to Re-Enrol Out-of-School Learners After 40,000 Dropped Out in 2025 Alone

Government has rolled out a programme to locate and return to class thousands of pupils who abandoned school last year, after data showed almost 40,000 learners exited the education system due to various hardships.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education's Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) Report shows 39,736 learners dropped out in 2025 -- 13,032 at primary level and 26, 704 at secondary level.

Poverty, early marriages, teenage pregnancy and child labour were cited as the main drivers of the high attrition rate.

At primary level, 116 pupils left school after getting married and 102 quit due to pregnancy. The report also recorded 138 learners with disabilities who discontinued their studies, with numbers almost evenly split between boys and girls.

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Reacting to the figures, ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro told State media that the issue was being treated as a priority, noting that every learner who exits prematurely is a setback government is committed to undoing.

"The ministry views the EMIS report with the seriousness it deserves and every learner who leaves school prematurely represents a loss that the ministry is determined to reverse," Ndoro was quoted saying.

He said authorities are rolling out a multi-faceted approach built around an Early Warning System (EWS), stronger re-entry rules and closer collaboration with communities.

Ndoro said the EWS, now integrated into EMIS, spots learners at risk by tracking persistent absenteeism, falling grades and risk factors like orphanhood and financial distress.

"Once flagged, school-based response teams comprising teachers, guidance counsellors and School Development Committee members immediately conduct home visits to understand the barriers and work with families on support plans," he said.

Government support measures include the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) for vulnerable pupils and the School Feeding Programme, which now reaches over 3.5 million learners nationwide.

Counselling services are also being bolstered to tackle psychosocial issues such as child marriage and gender-based violence. Ndoro said the Re-Entry Policy under the 2020 Education Amendment Act guarantees that pregnant learners and young mothers can resume classes after delivery without discrimination.

For learners with disabilities, the ministry is scaling up inclusive education through assistive tools, accessible buildings and specialised training for teachers.

To cut down long travel distances in remote areas, government continues constructing satellite schools, a factor often linked to dropouts.

For pupils already out of school, Ndoro said the approach has shifted from waiting to active search and re-enrolment.

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"The same Early Warning System generates a real-time list of learners who have been absent for extended periods. District and school authorities, working together with Social Welfare officers, community child-care workers and traditional leaders, conduct door-to-door tracing exercises," he said.

The initiative runs under the National Case Management System alongside the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.

Once found, learners are offered flexible return options, including accelerated learning to place them at age-appropriate grades.

Ndoro said School Development Committees, village heads and other local structures are now empowered to monitor school-age children and ensure universal enrolment.

"The message we are driving in every ward is: 'No child out of school'," he said.

The ministry also highlighted success stories. In Mashonaland Central, a Form Two learner who dropped out due to pregnancy returned under the Re-Entry Policy, passed five O-Levels and is now at a teachers' college.

In Manicaland, a Grade Six pupil who left for artisanal mining was tracked by the community, re-enrolled via a bridging course and is now in Form Two on a bursary.

In Matabeleland South, a learner with a physical disability who stopped attending when her classroom was inaccessible came back after a ramp and assistive devices were installed, later topping her class in Mathematics.

Ndoro said government will keep strengthening the Early Warning System, expand community tracing, and make school the most practical choice for every Zimbabwean child.