Partnering with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to keep vulnerable children in school
Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, in collaboration with CAMFED and with support from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), is rolling out a nationwide ‘Early Warning System’ to prevent children from dropping out of school due to the challenges they are facing.
The initiative comes as an urgent response to 49,555 learners having dropped out of school in 2024, according to figures presented in Parliament by the Hon. Angeline Gata, Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education.
By late March 2025, implementation of the Early Warning System was underway to reach 545 schools across 30 districts. In May, Hon. Dr. Torerayi Moyo, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, travelled to some of the country’s most remote schools to assess progress.
In Matabeleland South, Minister Moyo commended the resilience of educators and communities working in under-resourced environments.
When we invest in our most remote schools, we are investing in national equity. The Early Warning System is our commitment to leaving no learner behind. We must re-admit, retain, and reduce dropouts as a matter of national urgency.Hon. Dr. Torerayi Moyo, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education
The system hinges on the use of real-time data and community engagement to identify at-risk students before they drop out. By monitoring factors including school attendance, academic performance, and socio-economic challenges, school communities can assess when, and what type of, intervention is necessary.
Many learners — especially girls — face challenges including lack of financial resources, food insecurity, caring responsibility for siblings and long distances to schools, which often lack the resources to cater for individual needs. A combination of factors contribute to absences and can eventually push girls out of school and into early marriage, for example. The Early Warning System is designed to detect early signs of vulnerability so that timely, targeted support can be provided by teachers and school community members.
By intervening early, we can help learners stay in school, succeed academically, and build brighter futures. This approach not only supports individual students but also strengthens the entire education system by making it more inclusive, responsive, and resilient.
More about our work in ZimbabweSome of us come from child-headed families or live with disabilities. This system gives us hope. It helps bring back our friends who had dropped out.Patricia, Secondary Student and Junior Councilor, Bulilima District
The Early Warning System integrates CAMFED’s youth-led Learner Guide/Peer Educator model, which sees young women return to local schools to support learners through mentorship and by delivering the My Better World life skills and self-development program. Having overcome similar barriers to education, Learner Guides/Peer Educators are uniquely placed to identify and rally support around the most vulnerable children — who are more likely to confide in empathetic peers.
Beyond the classroom, they provide a bridge between schools, families and local authorities. Learner Guides take action for “invisible” children and where others may lack time or resources, they go above and beyond to keep girls in school.
More from our Learner GuidesTogether, we can break down barriers, nurture potential, and safeguard the right of every child to an education.Justina Hama, Co-Executive Director, CAMFED Zimbabwe
Expert trainers in the Early Warning System cascaded skills and knowledge to school heads, teachers, psychologists, social workers, health professionals, and members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s Victim Friendly Unit.
The training not only focused on data collection and analysis but also explored how schools can foster safe and inclusive environments that respond to the psychosocial needs of learners, enabling them to complete their education.
The Early Warning System is already showing promising results in early implementation districts including Bubi, where Minister Moyo recently officiated training sessions and proposed scaling the model to Umguza District.
Looking ahead, the Ministry sees the system as a transformative tool in building a more inclusive, equitable, and responsive education system for all Zimbabwean children.
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