This article seeks to show how the 2011 Education Act is being implemented in primary schools in Zambia as a tool to keep girls in school. It specially analyses sections 17 and 18 of the Education Act that relates o absenteeism and prohibition of early marriages. These sections further recommend jail sentences to parents or guardians or whoever impedes on the rights of the girls to be in school. The data was collected through semi structured interviews with head teachers in seventeen schools with evidence of absenteeism and pregnancies. The study was informed by the deterrence and attribution theories. Research findings show that while school administrators are willing to implement the contents of the Education Act of 2011 in Zambia relating to absenteeism and early marriages, the local environment is not ready for such drastic measures. In some areas there are no justice institutions close to them to help them invoke the law. Furthermore, there has been a lack of awareness on what the Act entails. For this reason, it was found that none of the schools studied are implementing the 2011 Education Act. School administrators such as head teachers were of the view that there were other humane ways of dealing with absenteeism that did not include the enforcement of the law. In addition, head teachers explained that cases of early marriages are difficult to follow up because communities themselves shield offenders. The legal and local environment cemented their lack of belief that the Act can be implemented so as to deter these vices. Upon reflecting on the responses from the school administrators, it is recommended that, government create awareness on the importance and implementation of the 2011 Education Act, they should also improve efficiency in the justice system. Lastly, government should create formal justice systems closer to the people and improve infrastructure in rural and peri urban areas.