Zero Dropout Campaign notes the release of the 2024 National Senior Certificate (NSC) results by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and congratulates the class of 2024.
Of learners who sat down for the final matric exams at the end of last year, 87.3% obtained an NSC. This is a historic result, and an encouraging 4.4-percentage-point increase from 2023.
Foundational Issues and Throughput
The DBE also revealed that the throughput rate for the class of 2024 was 64.5%. This however is an alarming 1.1-percentage-point decrease from 2023, which was 65.6%. According to its Director-General, the DBE currently calculates the throughput rate from Grade 10 to Grade 12 which is arguably far too late in a cohort’s progression.
Numerous reports over the past two years have indicated that our nation’s learners have foundational literacy and numeracy challenges that require intervention and additional support to ensure that they are overcome. Only considering the throughput rate from Grade 10 and not addressing the foundational challenges that occur before then, will only ensure that four of every ten learners who start Grade 1 in South Africa continue to drop out before matric.
Dropout and Repetition
The slow decrease in the grade repetition rate, particularly at Grade 10, is of concern as Grade 10 is a crucial juncture in the education journey of a learner and where many are most at risk for dropping out. Practices such as ‘gatekeeping’, where learners are repeatedly kept behind because the schools don’t have the resources to catch them and don’t want to jeopardise their pass rates by progressing those learners, can be demoralising and prematurely push learners out of the school system.
Dropout and Intervention
Early warning systems, combined with psychosocial support interventions, are effective tools for addressing dropout. It underscores the importance of tracking, monitoring, and analysing learner-level data to identify trends in school disengagement, enabling schools to respond to early warning signs with timely psychosocial support.
Effective dropout prevention also requires equipping, resourcing, and supporting schools to address learners’ needs, starting with ensuring that learners can voice their concerns, and a progressive environment that puts their situations into consideration.
The General Education Certificate (GEC)
Considering the claims made by the DBE’s representatives that a contributor to the less than desirable throughput rate is learners transitioning to other forms of education, such as private and vocational, the lack of information as to how many learners are doing so was glaring. Further, details regarding the GEC pilot, which is supposed to better and officially facilitate these kinds of education and even employment transitions when implemented, were also worryingly lacking.
Dropout and Unemployment
In South Africa, one out of two of youth who are not in employment, education, or training (NEET) do not possess a matric certificate, further compounding the challenges of obtaining their first decent job. However, it should be re-emphasised that there are still options available for young people who have not obtained their matric certificate, which can be accessed here.
New Dropout Research
The basic education sector has made remarkable strides over the past thirty years and the 2024 matric class is a testament to that. As the DBE continues to improve the pass rate, we agree with its Director-General that now is a pivotal time to discuss and evaluate associated issues such as the quality of education learners are receiving and their experience through the education system. In our latest research publication, School Dropout: Advocacy to Action, we conducted an in-person survey with people across the country to dig deeper into South African’s experiences of the basic education sector and school dropout. This research will officially be launched 30 January 2025 and tickets to our public dialogue are available here.
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For more information or to arrange interviews, contact Siyabulela Sandi on +27 78 668 2603 or via email on siyabulela@zerodropout.co.za.