Over 42,000 Tanzanian female students drop out of school over early pregnancy

By Sola Omoniyi, Lagos

No less than 42,954 Tanzanian female students have dropped out of school between July 2021 and June 2022 due to early pregnancy.

According to a report by the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) of Tanzania on Monday, he stated that over 40,000 female students were out of school due to prematured pregnancy.

The 2021 to 2022 CAG report tabled in parliament in the capital Dodoma said out of the 42,954 impregnated schoolgirls, 23,009 were from secondary schools and 19,945 were from primary schools.

The report said impregnated secondary schoolgirls accounted for 28 per cent of 82,236 girls that were scheduled to complete their ordinary level education in 2021.

The report said the impregnated schoolgirls were from 19 local government authorities from across the country.

According to the report, secondary schools that had the highest number of impregnated schoolgirls were in Kinondoni municipality in Dar es Salaam region with 4,652 girls.

This the report said followed by Newala district council in Mtwara region with 3,783 girls, and Misungwi district council in Mwanza region with 2,570 girls.

For the primary schools, Kwimba district council in Mwanza region had the highest number of impregnated schoolgirls during the period under review with 9,045 girls, followed by Uvinza district council in Kigoma region with 2,172 girls, said the report.

Recall, since 2016, the Tanzanian government implemented a new law intended to reduce the amount of teen pregnancy. Before starting the new school year all girls were required to submit to a pregnancy test and If one was positive she was not permitted to attend school.