Gauteng has recorded an 18% school dropout rate this year with the highest impact in grade R.
FILE: Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi. Picture: Xanderleigh Dookey/EWN
JOHANNESBURG – Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi on Thursday said that while there had been an improvement in school attendance across the province, more than 53,000 pupils had dropped off the radar since schools reopened.
Gauteng has recorded an 18% school dropout rate this year, with the highest impact in grade R.
Lesufi said that pupils would have to repeat their current grade, which would result in a backlog in the academic programme for 2021.
“There is no need for children to remain at home. I think from the statistics that have been released now from the Department of Health, it is quite clear that we are managing the situation. Almost 53,426 learns that are still not accounted for and we really believe that this will increase and will cause more dropouts of almost 54,000 learners from school.”
At least 3,263 positive cases of COVID-19 have been reported across schools in Gauteng.
