Orphan and vulnerable child dropouts fall at Shewula High School
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Times of Eswatini
Illustrative image · Tosin Olowoleni · Pexels · Licence PexelsThe number of orphaned and vulnerable children dropping out of Shewula High School in Eswatini’s Lubombo region fell from four last year to one this year, according to headteacher Bongani Agreement Magongo. The decline is attributed to World Bank interventions, including boys’ and girls’ clubs and a grant for these pupils, during a monitoring mission by the Ministry of Education, reports the Times of Eswatini.
The number of orphaned or vulnerable pupils who dropped out of Shewula High School in Eswatini’s Lubombo region fell from four last year to one this year, reports the Times of Eswatini. The school’s headteacher, Bongani Agreement Magongo, attributes the change to World Bank-supported interventions aimed at reducing the financial and social difficulties faced by vulnerable pupils.
The World Bank-supported project includes educational assistance for vulnerable children, as well as boys’ and girls’ club programmes. Shewula High School has 265 pupils benefiting from the project, of whom 139 are classified as orphans and vulnerable children, according to the Times of Eswatini.
Bongani Agreement Magongo said school fees were the main cause of dropouts and that the intervention had enabled some pupils to return to class after leaving. He also cited teenage pregnancies, personal difficulties and negative attitudes towards education among the other factors behind dropouts. The boys’ and girls’ clubs have also reportedly helped improve pupils’ confidence and participation in school activities, reports the Times of Eswatini.
