What Happens to Students Who Drop Out? Six Paths, Ten Years Later
Thousands of Zimbabwean students leave school every year. Here are six possible paths they can take, the real numbers we could confirm, and the doors that are still open.
Maybe you know someone who left school. Maybe it is you. Maybe you are thinking about it tonight. The question people ask in WhatsApp groups is simple: what happens to them?
There is no one answer. Leaving school is like getting off a bus before the last stop. You are still travelling. But where you get off, and what is waiting there, changes a lot. In this post we follow six students down six different roads, up to ten years later.
Please read this first
The six students below are not real people. They are made-up stories, built from patterns in Zimbabwe news reports and official figures. If you recognise a name, it is a coincidence. Each story is marked as an illustration.
We also looked for a Zimbabwe study that follows early school leavers for ten years, and we could not find one. So the "ten years later" parts show what can happen, not what always happens. We do not give any percentage for the six paths, because we have none we can prove.
How many students leave school in Zimbabwe?
Here are the numbers we could check:
- 39,736 learners dropped out in 2025. This comes from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education's EMIS report. Of these, 13,032 were in primary school and 26,704 in secondary school.
- The same report named poverty, early marriage, teenage pregnancy and child labour as the main reasons.
- The ZimLAC 2024 report found that 22.3% of school-age children were not in school when the survey was done. Money problems were the reason families gave most often.
- More than 10,000 teenage girls left school between 2023 and 2025 because of pregnancy or early marriage, according to ministry data reported by NewsDay.
Look at the reasons again: money, pregnancy, marriage, work. Not one of them says "I did not want to learn". For many students, leaving is something that happens to them, not something they choose.
The road they all walk onto
Whatever path a student takes after leaving school, they walk into the same job market. This is what ZimStat's labour surveys show:
- In the third quarter of 2024, 49.5% of young people aged 15 to 35 were not in school, not in work and not in training.
- In the second quarter of 2025, unemployment among people aged 15 to 24 was 39.3%, as reported by the Zimbabwe Independent.
- In the same survey, about 58 out of every 100 employed people worked in the informal sector.
"Informal work" means work with no contract, no payslip and no pension, like selling at a market or doing piece jobs. Think of a house built without a foundation. It can stand for years. But one bad season can shake it.
Now picture a school certificate as a key card for a building. Having the card does not make you a better worker. But many doors will only open with it. Without it, you have to find a different door, or build your own. Keep that picture in mind as you read the six stories.
Six paths, six stories
Path 1: The market stall
Tendai left in Form 3, at 16. His father lost his job and the fees went unpaid for two terms. Tendai did not want to be sent home in front of his class, so one Monday he simply did not go. He began selling airtime and phone chargers at a bus stop, then added tomatoes and onions. Some days he sold more than he had ever dreamed of, and he felt he had made the smart choice.
Ten years later: Tendai is 26 and has a small stall at a busy market. He pays his younger sister's fees. He is good with money and good with people. But when a company advertised a stock controller job he could do easily, the advert asked for five O Level passes, so he could not apply. His income goes up and down with the rains and the prices. He has no pension and no savings that would last a year. He keeps saying he will write his O Levels "next year".
What it shows: Selling is a real skill. It was a missing paper, not missing brains, that closed the door.
Path 2: The young mother who went back
Rudo fell pregnant in Form 2, at 15. She stayed home, full of shame, and nobody told her she could return. Two years later an aunt who teaches told her the rule. The 2020 Education Amendment Act says a pregnant learner cannot be excluded from school, and the ministry says young mothers can come back after the birth. Rudo was scared. The first months were hard: her grandmother minded the baby, money was tight, and some classmates stared. But she kept going and passed five O Levels at 20.
Ten years later: Rudo is 25. She went on to teachers' college and now teaches at a primary school. Her daughter is in Grade 4.
What it shows: The door was open the whole time. Nobody had told her. A similar story was shared by the ministry itself, about a Form 2 learner who returned and is now at teachers' college. To be fair, not every girl has it this easy. A teachers' union has told the ministry that girls still meet barriers even though the law protects them. If a school says no, do not give up. See the help section below.
Path 3: The apprentice
Farai was weak at Mathematics and tired of feeling slow in class. When fees could not be paid in Form 4, he left before the exams. His uncle, a welder, let him sweep the workshop and watch. After a year Farai was allowed to cut and join metal. At 19 he took a short course at a training centre to learn the theory behind the work: measuring, safety and pricing a job.
Ten years later: Farai is 27 and runs a small workshop that makes gates, window frames and trailers. Two young men work for him. In a good month he earns more than some friends who finished school and are still looking for jobs. But he has no English pass, which makes it hard to write proper quotations for bigger clients. Getting into the course was also harder than he thought, because many courses ask for O Level passes.
What it shows: A trade is like a strong engine: people will always need gates, pipes and wiring. But an engine still needs a licence to drive on the main road. Skills and papers work best together.
Path 4: The gold rush
Sipho was 14 when his older cousins came home with cash from panning for gold. They bought phones and new shoes. Sipho left school to join them. The first months felt like a party, with money in his hand every week. But the work was heavy and dangerous, the pay was never steady, and he spent it as fast as it came.
Ten years later: Sipho is 24. When he was 19, part of a shaft wall gave way. He lived, but his leg never healed well and he cannot do heavy work now. He has no savings, no certificate and no medical cover. He now goes to evening classes to write English and Mathematics as a private candidate. It is slow, but it is the first plan he has had that does not depend on his body.
What it shows: Quick money is like a loan from your future. At 14 it feels like a gift. Later you pay it back, with interest. If you are under 18 and being pushed into dangerous work, you can call Childline on 116 for free.
Path 5: The waiting room
Memory left in Form 3, at 16, when her fees were unpaid and her mother fell ill. She stayed home to cook, wash and look after her younger brothers. She told herself it was only for one term. One term became a year, then three. Every job advert asked for O Levels. Each time she thought, "next year". After a while, she stopped looking.
Ten years later: Memory is 26. She has done a few piece jobs, like helping in a neighbour's shop and working in the fields at harvest, but nothing steady. Her days look much like they did at 17. She no longer thinks she is clever enough for exams. That belief is the heaviest thing she carries.
What it shows: This is the quietest path, because nothing dramatic happens. Waiting is like standing at a bus stop where no bus comes. The danger is not one bad day. It is a thousand days with no plan. Many young Zimbabweans are in this situation, and not all of them left school early. The good news is that this is also the easiest path to leave, because the first step can be tiny: one subject, one sitting.
Path 6: The slow comeback
Thando left in Form 4, at 17, when the fees ran out. She found work as a shop assistant. Tired of reading "five O Levels" on every advert, she registered at 19 as a private candidate through an approved examination centre. She studied after work, using past papers on her phone. In her first sitting she passed two subjects and failed three. She wrote the other three in the next sitting and passed them.
Ten years later: Thando is 27. She finished a certificate course after her O Levels, works as an administration clerk, and is studying part-time for a diploma. It took her about four years, many tired evenings and a lot of exam fees.
What it shows: A comeback is like taking the stairs after missing the lift. It is slower, and your legs ache, but you reach the same floor.
We left out one path on purpose: leaving the country to work. Many young Zimbabweans do this, but we found no reliable Zimbabwe figures on how many of them left school early, so we did not want to guess.
What the six paths have in common
- Money pushed most of them out, not a lack of brains. Tendai, Rudo, Farai, Memory and Thando all left because of fees, a pregnancy or a family problem.
- The key card matters. Four of the six ran into a door that needed O Level passes.
- Doors stay open longer than people think. Rudo, Sipho and Thando all went back to learning, and Farai added a course to his trade.
- Waiting costs more than a hard choice. Memory's problem was not that she failed. It was that she never started again.
Think of school as a highway. Leaving does not end your journey, but you swap the highway for a footpath. A footpath is longer and rougher. It still arrives, if you keep walking.
If you are thinking about leaving school right now
- Tell someone before you go. Speak to your class teacher, a guidance teacher or the head. Fees are the most common reason, and some schools can arrange part payments. Ask about BEAM, the government's help with fees for vulnerable learners.
- Know the law. The Education Act, as amended (section 68C), says no pupil may be excluded for not paying fees or because of pregnancy. If your school sends you away, ask for the reason in writing and take it to your district education office.
- If you are pregnant or a young mother, you are allowed to return after the birth. This is the ministry's re-entry policy.
- If you are under 18 and being pushed into marriage, dangerous work or abuse, call Childline Zimbabwe on 116. It is free, confidential and open 24 hours. You can also message them on WhatsApp on +263 719 116 116 or +263 732 116 116.
If you have already left
- Go back to class. The ministry says returning learners can be offered flexible options, including accelerated learning that places them in the right grade. Ask your old school or the nearest one.
- Write your exams as a private candidate. You register through a school or an approved examination centre, not at ZIMSEC's offices. You can write one or two subjects at a time, in the June or November sitting. Our post on June vs November exams explains the difference.
- Learn a trade. Training centres and polytechnics teach skills like welding, plumbing, building and electrics. Check the entry rules first, because many ask for O Level passes. Learning beside a skilled person, like Farai did, is another route.
- Start with one small step this week. Write down the subjects you already passed. Pick the one you will write next. That is the whole job for now.
Laws, fees and exam rules change. Check the details with your school, your district education office or ZIMSEC before you act.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a girl who fell pregnant go back to school?
Yes. The ministry says its re-entry policy, under the 2020 Education Amendment Act, lets pregnant learners and young mothers return after delivery without discrimination. Some girls still face barriers in practice, so ask the district education office or Childline for help if a school refuses.
Can a school send me home for not paying fees?
The law says it should not. Section 68C of the Education Act says no pupil may be excluded for non-payment of fees. In practice, some learners are still turned away, so speak to the head early, ask about BEAM, and ask for any refusal in writing.
Is it too late to finish my O Levels if I left years ago?
No. Private candidates are a normal part of ZIMSEC. For example, ZIMSEC reported 67,964 private candidates in the June 2017 O Level sitting. Start with one or two subjects and build up.
Do I still have a chance at a good career?
Yes, but the road is longer. The ministry shared the story of a Form 2 learner who left because of pregnancy, came back, passed five O Levels and is now at teachers' college. Our post on how many O Levels you need shows what different jobs and colleges ask for.
Where the figures come from
- 2025 dropout figures (EMIS, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education): New Zimbabwe via allAfrica, June 2026
- 2023 to 2025 pregnancy and early marriage dropouts: NewsDay, "Zim teen pregnancy shock"
- ZimLAC 2024 out-of-school figure: NewsDay, "Zim records jump in school dropouts"
- Section 68C of the Education Act: NewsDay, teachers' union petition
- Youth not in school, work or training (2024 Q3): NewsDay, "Unemployment rate goes up"
- Youth unemployment and informal work (2025 Q2): Zimbabwe Independent, "Firing economy culls 65 000 jobs in 90 days"
- ZIMSEC exam registration rules: ZIMSEC, Examinations Registration
- Childline Zimbabwe helpline: Lifeline International, Childline Zimbabwe
The six stories are illustrations. They are not taken from any report, and they are not real people.