Four girls from Yofu primary school in Likoma failed to sit for the just ended Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) exams as they are expectant.
According to Malawi News Agency, the development has shocked education stakeholders in the district.
Speaking with MANA, Headteacher for the school Emmanuel Wahosi Chirwa said the four girls were among 36 girls who were to sit for the exams.
Chirwa added that five other girls from different classes at the school have also dropped out after getting pregnant.
“Some of the girls were secondary school material, we had tried to talk to their parents to let them sit for the exams but didn’t yield anything,” the headteacher said.
Chirwa attributed the situation to a trend in which parents push their teen daughters to fishermen who then gives the parents fish.
He however, explained that some boys dropped out of school as well and started fishing.
Commenting on the issue, Likoma community policing officer Elijah Kasote told Mana that police have failed to bring perpetrators to book due to the girls’ parents who misrepresented facts.
20% sat wth pregnances