The basic education sector has faced a number of challenges at schools across the Western Cape, including violence, unplaced learners and rotational timetables.
Rahima Essop, Head of Communications and Advocacy at the Zero Dropout Campaign, said school dropout had increased this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “Covid-19 school closures, along with the economic shocks of lockdown, have amplified the disruptions that typically lead to dropout. Higher than normal rates of non-attendance during the pandemic have largely not translated into permanent dropout,” says Essop.