Arusha — Some 34 students in Arusha region did not sit for the final standard seven primary school education this year due to early pregnancies.

Arusha's Regional education Officer Raymond Mapunda, said of the 34, seventeen were from Ngorongoro district, accounting for 33 per cent. The district is occupied mainly by pastoralists and is notorious for parents marrying off their daughters at an early age.

Mapunda said 16 others came from Monduli district which is also a predominantly pastoralists district. He attributed the phenomena to lack of awareness on the part of parents and guardians on the importance of education for their children.

A total of 1,036 pupils did not sit for the standard seven national examination this year for various reasons.