RONALD N
Residents and local leaders have raised concerns over the increasing number of school dropouts in Kabobo Ward, Kitwe Town Council, Ntugamo District.
As schools resume for the first term, residents and local leaders in Kabobo Ward, Kitwe Town Council, Ntugamo District, have raised concern over the increasing number of teenagers who have not reported back to school but rather remain loitering in the villages.
Speaking to Boona Radio, Kwatampora Jonathan, a resident of Kabobo Cell, revealed that despite the reopening of schools for the first term, many teenagers have remained in the villages, which he attributed to negligence by some parents who have intentionally refused to take their children back to school. Moreover, Kwatampora stressed that the village has a history of many teenagers dropping out of school at a young age to engage in activities like animal grazing and digging, and therefore urged authorities to conduct sensitization campaigns, as many do this out of ignorance.
Kamukama David, LC 1, Kabobo Cell, noted that many teenagers drop out of school because of poverty, and only a few drop out because they are unwilling to study. Furthermore, Kamukama revealed that many parents do not have enough money to support their children’s education, especially at higher levels of learning, and therefore advise them to branch into other activities like tailoring and digging to earn a living. Moreover, Kamukama urged the government to support these children, especially those willing to study, by giving them bursaries.
Similarly, Tumusiime Richard, Councilor, Kabobo Ward, Kitwe Town Council, acknowledged the matter but noted that as authorities, they have tried to sensitize parents about the importance of education and advised those without money to train their children in skills like carpentry and tailoring, which are a little cheaper but can help them earn a livelihood. Tumusiime revealed that these teenagers who are not in school are becoming a security threat since most of them have resorted to smoking marijuana and stealing, and therefore urged higher authorities to support these children with free education.
