DURBAN - THE number of pupils between the ages of seven and 17 who dropped out of school rose by more than 500000 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
This is according to the latest National Income Dynamics Study – Coronavirus Rapid Mobile (NidsCram) survey.
The survey found that the number of drop-outs rose from 230 000 before the Covid-19 pandemic – to 750 000 by May 2021, to reach the highest level in 20 years.
It also said millions of pupils from poor and working class households were more heavily affected by Covid19 disruptions to schooling, and that only 8.5% of households had children that had access to the internet.
Equal Education (EE) researcher Katherine Sutherland said the survey had laid bare the existing inequalities in the education system regarding the provision of basic infrastructure, access to school meals, and other resources, such as learning materials.
Sutherland said that the results of the survey had shown that the pandemic had had devastating effects on the education sector and had further entrenched already existing inequalities in the provision of basic education, reinforcing a need for teaching and learning constraints to be addressed.
“We are very distressed about the impact that the pandemic is having on pupils. South Africa was facing a basic education crisis before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the effects of which pupils in under-resourced schools felt the most harshly. From 2014 to 2018, around 50% of 22 to 25-year-olds did not have a matric qualification.
“There have been huge learning losses and an increase in school non-attendance. The longer a pupil remains out of school, the higher the likelihood that a temporary drop-out turns into a permanent drop-out. This is especially true for pupils who were already at risk of dropping out before the Covid-19 pandemic. Should there be no meaningful preventative or remedial action, the effects of school closures will be felt long into the future,” she said.
Sutherland added that pupils from lower quintile schools relied on the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) for school meals, yet 1.5 million children did not receive a daily meal.
“Last year, we witnessed long-standing inequalities within the education sector, highlighted both in and outside of schools, with better-resourced public schools able to facilitate remote learning, while pupils who attend under-resourced, rural and township schools, struggled,” said Sutherland.
Sutherland said there should be a return to traditional timetabling and in-person schooling.
“This is especially important for primary school pupils, as learning losses at primary school level are the most concerning. The reopening of schools must ensure the safety of pupils, staff and the community through the management of Covid-19 outbreaks using the Department of Basic Education’s (DBE) risk-adjusted strategy.
“The government must ensure that all teachers and school support staff are vaccinated against Covid-19.
“The return to full-time schooling should be accompanied by the effective implementation of already existing school infrastructure projects – this would help prevent greater learning losses and the increasing dropout rates in lower quintile schools. The safe return to schools requires that schools are able to follow non-pharmaceutical Covid-19 prevention methods, such as social distancing, the washing of hands and the use of masks and hand sanitisers,” said Sutherland.
Congress of South Africa Students (Cosas) spokesperson Katleho Mangoejane said the Nids-Cram wave 5 survey findings were a true reflection of what pupils were experiencing on the ground.
“There is a lot of pressure for pupils to catch-up on the curriculum and many have just decided to drop out because they could not cope. We are asking the DBE to revisit the One Learner One Tablet campaign.”
THE MERCURY