By Thabisile Ncube
As schoolchildren are finally back to school full-time, a new report shows it will be a steep road for them to attain their educational outcomes.
Cabinet announced that for the first time since the start of Covid-19 pandemic, pupils would attend school full-time. The rotational system, which was in place to curb the spread of the disease in schools, has been dropped. While education experts and unions welcomed the move back to full-time schooling, the 2022 Reading Panel report released paints a bleak picture for pupils.
Over 5 million learners have fallen out of the education system since 2010, between the grades 10-12. Communities need to urgently address and undo the crisis of high learner dropout rates across South African schools.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) revealed that there is no mechanisms in place to track, trace or keep learners in school in order to encourage them to return to school. South Africa needs innovative solutions to address this major dropout crisis.
Education is the key to success, so I was told, without education I will be doomed.
Learners drop out of school for various reasons; some because they are not coping with the academic requirements or have failed a Grade or two a number of times, and have lost confidence. Some because they have to look for jobs as they are teenage parents and have to make ends meet for their children. The teasing and being laughed at by your schoolmates also does not help!
Without a decent education, it also becomes very difficult to get a good paying job.
My feelings on the matter are that dropping out is not the answer to your problems. Never stop following your dreams because of problems and mistakes you might have made, mistakes are there for us to learn from! Follow your dreams and never give up on life. There will be solutions in the end.
