| School-leaving age |
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88. There is no provision in the law for compulsory education in Zambia. However, it is government policy under the Basic Education Sub-sector Investment Programme (BESSIP) that nine years of basic education should be mandatory.
362. […] Education is not compulsory, but once a child is enrolled in a school, it is the duty of every parent or guardian to ensure the child's regular attendance, which is stated in the Compulsory Attendance Regulation Statutory Instrument No. 118 of 1970. […]
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| Minimum age of employment |
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89. The Employment of Young Persons and Children Act, chapter 274, prohibits employment of children below age 14, unless the employment is an enterprise where members are of the same family.
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| Minimum age for marriage |
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73. During the reporting process, the State party identified the following constraints and challenges in the existing legislation: […]
(b) The Marriage Act, chapter 50, does not cover marriages contracted under customary law. The latter permits child marriages and, thus, circumvents the protective provisions of the Marriage Act;
91. The Marriage Act, chapter 50, stipulates that any person below 21 years requires written consent of a parent or guardian before a marriage is contracted. However, customary law allows the contracting of marriage after attainment of puberty subject to parental consent.
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| Minimum age for criminal responsibility |
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82. According to the Penal Code, chapter 87, a child below 8 years is not criminally responsible for his or her actions. The criterion of puberty is not used in criminal law.
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