Why do South African learners drop out?

The latest census results released by Statistics South Africa reveal that 5.2 million young people in the country are not attending school. This is an increase of 200 000 young people, aged between 5 to 24, in comparison to 2011.

Zero Dropout Campaign’s Marle Mansfield says pupils leave school prematurely due to factors inside and outside the classroom. She says what is difficult to understand is where exactly the disengagement happens before the actual departure. Understanding what causes disengagement and eventual dropout will allow us to intervene effectively with targeted solutions that work, she explains.