‘Girls’ performance in urban schools worrisome’
By Patience Lunda:
Education authorities in the Northern Region have expressed worry over girls’ performance in urban schools.
They cite increased numbers of child-headed families as one of the factors fueling the trend.
Mzuzu City Council acting Chief Education Officer Penjani Gausi, who made the revelation when Mzuzu Diocese Education Department commemorated the Day of The Girl Child in Mzuzu, said, if not unchecked, the development could jeopardise the future of children.
“Those in child-headed households often fail to attend classes, leading to high rates of absenteeism , especially among girls.
“We have locations where parents earn a living through small-scale businesses. As such, they force the girls to stay home to do household chores and, as a result, they miss out on classes,” she said.
Mzuzu Diocese Education Department Projects Officer Innocent Nyondo said the department had introduced initiatives aimed at addressing the problem.
“We want to ensure that the girl child attains education,” he said.
The theme of the commemorations was ‘Our Voice: Our Progressive Future’.
