Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

3-minute read
20 January 2024 | 12:34 CAT

The state must fix SA’s reading crisis to stop school dropouts. Image/ BusinessLIVE

Some matriculants are celebrating their results on Friday. But that’s not the case for millions of others who have yet to make it to Grade 12.

The Zero Dropout Campaign has released its latest report. It says only 40 per cent of pupils who started grade one completed matric last year. The group cites illiteracy as the single biggest reason for dropouts.

“Our research specifically looks at reading and how, essentially, illiteracy can have a detrimental impact on the future prospects of a learner within the schooling environments,” Colin Wardle, Communication Leader for The Zero Dropout Campaign, told Radio Islam International.

“We have taken a proactive approach to addressing dropout by promoting interventions with a track record of success. A prime example is our Reading for Meaning programme, which focuses on a child’s learning needs rather than their age or grade. In an effort to drive a whole-of-society approach to reducing the rate of dropout, our outreach teams are also mobilising a network of educators, parents and learners to work together to find solutions to the everyday issues driving the dropout rate,” the campaign stated.

According to Wardle, we need to change the perception that school dropouts are normal occurrences by demonstrating that it’s possible to stop them from happening. Despite South Africa’s large investment in basic education, around 40% of Grade 1 learners will exit the schooling system before reaching Grade 12. Many will remain stuck in poverty and unemployment as young people are 8% more likely to find employment if they have a matric certificate.

He added, “the first step towards addressing school dropout is to prioritise it as a national problem both at the decision-making level and at a societal level. The fact that many children leave school without any qualification is not yet firmly acknowledged by all levels of government to be a problem. As a consequence, there are no specific systems or policies in place to address it.”

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round-Up with Moulana Junaid Kharsany.