Schools stare at rise in dropouts as impact of coronavirus hit poor families
Friday November 27 2020
As at November 16, the Ministry of education estimated the general rate of missing learners at 11 per cent nationwide while the rate stood at 15 per cent for Kigali City. PHOTO | FILE
Authorities are facing a daunting task of tracing thousands of learners missing from schools, weeks after resumption of physical learning.
The social economic effects of the pandemic and its toll on disadvantaged families has fuelled fears of a likely rise in dropout rates in the country.
Although the exact number of learners missing from the school system is yet to be established, individual schools’ reports based on a few upper primary and secondary levels that reopened on November 2 show scores of the students cannot be accounted for as they have not returned to school even once for close to three weeks.
“I’m counting about 40 students who did not show up even once in two weeks and there is no evidence to suggest that they may have changed schools,” Andre Nsengiyumva of GS Nzove in Nyaru-genge District told Rwanda Today.
“We have submitted a list of all those we are missing to the District.”
Donata Akayezu, head teacher of GS Cyarwa, a Huye District-based school with over 2,800 student population, said it was proving hard to trace and ensure return of learners who ventured into income generating activities, and those whose families got displaced or can’t afford to meet basic needs due to loss of sources of income to the pandemic.
There are also victims of gender-based violence like teenage pregnancies and early marriages, and child labour due to the prolonged learning disruption.
“The numbers are not alarming at the moment but we anticipate to see a sharp rise in dropout rates when lower level classes resume on November 23 because that’s where we have had problems even in normal times. There will be a need for a clear strategy beyond the normal sensitization to ensure the return of these children,” she said.
As at November 16, the Ministry of education estimated the general rate of missing learners at 11 per cent nationwide while the rate stood at 15 per cent for Kigali City.
With lower primary and secondary level classes scheduled for reopening in a week's time, educationists predict dropout cases to rise even further without quick intervention to ensure the return of all those reeling from the impact of the pandemic.