Kavango East learner dropout driven by desire to stay home, data shows

More than 2 400 learners dropped out of school in Kavango East in 2025, with poverty, family responsibilities and household instability emerging as the main drivers — while child marriage accounted for only a small fraction of cases.

Data from the regional education office shows that the largest share of dropouts was linked to learners “wanting to stay at home”, with 184 cases recorded in the first semester and 234 in the second.

Officials say this category is often misunderstood and reflects deeper socio-economic challenges rather than simple truancy.

In total, 2 417 learners dropped out across both semesters, with 1 220 recorded in the first half of the year and 1 197 in the second.

Regional school counsellor Mercy Bupilo said the figures point to difficult realities many learners face at home.

“When learners indicate that they want to stay at home, it is not always by choice,” she said. “It could be due to personal problems, distance from school, or circumstances at home that are not stable.”

According to Bupilo, many learners are affected by poverty, including a lack of food, proper clothing and support, making regular school attendance difficult.

“These are underlying issues. A child may say they want to stay home, but when you look deeper, there are serious challenges within the household,” she said.

Seasonal migration by families engaged in subsistence farming is another key contributor. During farming periods, parents relocate to the fields — commonly referred to as the “mapia” — to protect crops, leaving children behind in villages.

“In such cases, one of the older children is left to take care of the household,” Bupilo explained. “There is no supervision to ensure they go to school, and over time they begin to miss classes.”

Permanent dropouts

By the time parents return, learners often struggle to catch up and may eventually drop out altogether.

Pregnancy remains another significant factor, with 114 cases recorded, although these do not necessarily represent permanent dropouts.

Namibia’s education policy allows pregnant learners to take extended leave of up to one year and return to school.

However, the way dropouts are recorded may contribute to inflated figures.

“If a learner is absent for 30 consecutive days, they are marked as a dropout,” Bupilo said. “Even if there are valid reasons such as illness or maternity leave, they are still captured in the statistics.”

Transfers between schools are also reflected in the data but are not considered actual dropouts, as learners often move in search of better opportunities or due to family relocation.

Despite public concern around child marriage, only 30 cases were recorded in 2025 — 16 in the first semester and 14 in the second.

The data further shows that the youngest recorded case involved a male learner in Grade 4, while the youngest female learner was in Grade 6.

While the numbers are low, Bupilo cautioned that some cases may go unreported, particularly in communities where informal arrangements resembling marriage persist.

Efforts to address dropout factors are guided by the Child Care and Protection Act, with the Ministry of Education working alongside the Ministry of Gender and the Legal Assistance Centre.

At school level, life skills and guidance teachers play a central role in identifying vulnerable learners and intervening early, while social workers handle more complex cases.

However, cultural beliefs remain a major challenge.

“Some parents still believe that once a child reaches a certain age, they should get married,” Bupilo said. “When we intervene, they tell us, ‘This is my child, you cannot do anything.’”

In some instances, parents choose to withdraw their children from school rather than comply with guidance from educators.

Addressing challenges

Kavango East education director Christine Shilima said the region has stepped up efforts to strengthen school-level responses to dropout factors.

She recently conducted meetings with principals across several circuits, accompanied by officials from the special education division, which is responsible for addressing challenges that affect learners’ performance and contribute to dropouts.

“I brought them along so they can guide principals on how to handle these problems,” Shilima said.

She explained that schools are supported by life skills and guidance teachers, who are tasked with identifying issues affecting learners and responding accordingly. Schools with more than 200 learners qualify for a life skills teacher.

“When cases are identified, they are referred to the life skills teacher, who must attend to the problem and work with the school to find solutions,” she said.

Shilima added that schools are expected to use dropout data to develop targeted programmes.

“We expect life skills teachers to use these statistics to sensitise learners — to show them why others dropped out and to come up with activities to prevent the same,” she said.

She emphasised that principals must take the lead, particularly in addressing issues such as child marriage.

“They must engage their teachers and ask how they are going to sensitise learners not to engage in marriages that lead to dropping out,” she said.

While interventions continue to be strengthened, the data underscores the range of challenges learners in Kavango East face in remaining in school