Young people are abandoning their studies for these reasons
The number of learners abandoning class in primary, secondary and tertiary levels has been growing by the day, with the Covid-19 pandemic only making the situation worse.
What you need to know:
- Government data shows that joblessness among youth aged 20 to 24 years stood at 17.6 percent by the end of 2020.
- Many youths are now opting to take the route that gives them quick money to meet their daily needs.
National statistics on the school drop-out rates are alarming to say the least. The number of learners abandoning class in primary, secondary and tertiary levels has been growing by the day, with the Covid-19 pandemic only making the situation worse.
According to a recent report by the Presidential Policy and Strategy Unit, more than 328,000 girls got pregnant after schools closed in March last year and over 100,000 others are now wives.
Boys have also abandoned studies to join the informal labour market, with some resorting to drug and substance abuse. While coming up with this article, I spoke to a former classmate who quit university to venture into the motorcycle business.
I asked him why and the answer he gave me got me thinking: “Why should I spend more than four years in university only to struggle to get a job?”
Government data shows that joblessness among youth aged 20 to 24 years stood at 17.6 percent by the end of 2020. Youths like my friend are now opting to take the route that gives them quick money to meet their daily needs.
But not everyone is abandoning books to chase cash. For some, their parents lost jobs during the pandemic and are currently unable to pay school fees.
It is gut-wrenching to watch these brilliant young people become disillusioned about their future because of a predicament they have no control over.
No one wants to admit this but colleges and universities are market places for drug peddlers. Once a student becomes drug-dependent, they spend all the money they get, including fees, to feed their addiction. Unhealthy competition is another reason learners are dropping out of school.
Some parents compare their children to the latter’s peers, putting excessive pressure on them.
Some, once unable to meet their parents’ expectations, opt to drop out of school.
Granted, there are situations we have no control over like the pandemic. But the government and other stakeholders should do everything possible to reduce these grim statistics.
Tracy Bonareri, 20, studies journalism and digital media at KCA University.
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