Qacha’s Nek __ As schools prepare to close for winter holidays on June 13, 2025, fear looms at ’Melikane High School, where child marriage often rob girls of their education.

Speaking to the Agency, the school’s principal, Mr. Lits’ila Koatsi, expressed deep concern that some students may not return after the break, as has happened in previous years.

“Every year, we lose two to three students to marriage. It’s heartbreaking. I’m worried about how many will come back after winter,” he said. “We’ve had to make a rule that boarding students don’t go home at month-end anymore because some don’t return. I wish they wouldn’t go home for the winter recess either.”

He revealed that a Grade 10 student recently dropped out due to marriage. “I spoke to her parents, asking them to bring her back. Their response was short and painful, ‘she refused.’”

Koatsi added that while the school discusses child marriage during parent meetings, it continues to lose students to the practice. “Herding used to be the main reason children dropped out. Now, it’s child marriage.”

He stressed the urgent need for more public education to combat this harmful tradition.

’Melikane High School currently has an enrollment of 112 students, which Koatsi describes as stable but vulnerable.

According to School Report Cards (SRC) data from the School Improvement Project (SIP), pregnancy and early marriage were the leading causes of secondary school dropouts among girls, accounting for 46.7 percent in 2018 and 45.7 percent in 2019.

Lesotho's child marriage rate stands at 24 percent, based on the 2016 Census. Though lower than some countries, the rate remains concerning. Stakeholders agree that child marriage poses a serious threat to the futures of young people, especially girls.

Efforts to address the issue include an ongoing attempt to amend the Child Protection and Welfare Act (CPWA) of 2011. The proposed amendment seeks to raise the legal marriage age to 18 for both boys and girls and criminalize child marriage, imposing penalties such as jail time or fines.

Though the 10th Parliament dissolved before passing the bill, the 11th Parliament has already read it twice and is expected to call the Ministry for further action after the winter recess.

The proposed legislation aligns with international standards, including the 1993 Hague Convention on Inter-Country Adoption, and aims to protect children from child marriage, child labor, and discrimination against children born out of wedlock (Lesotho Government, 2023).

UNICEF and local leaders have thrown their support behind the bill, emphasizing that ending child marriage is essential for national development and the empowerment of girls.

A 2021 UNICEF case study also underscores the importance of delaying marriage and preventing adolescent pregnancy as key strategies to secure girls’ education, health, and economic well-being.

With nearly one in five girls in Lesotho married before the age of 18, advocates hope the amendment will break the cycle and give young girls a fighting chance to pursue their dreams.