Pretoria - The DA in Gauteng is warning that terrible conditions at schools in the province are resulting in thousands of learners being lost in the system.
Khume Ramulifho, DA education spokesperson, said many learners dropped out of school while others were moved to schools with better resources.
Out of 2 513 350 learners whom the department enrolled in 2021, only 2 252 291 returned to school in the 2022 academic year in Grades 1 to 12.
There is an alarming number of 110 381 learners unaccounted for.
This information was revealed by the Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane, in a written reply to the DA’s questions tabled in the Gauteng legislature. Of the 110 381 learners who were lost in the system, 53 935 are of school-going age.
Ramulifho said: “This is concerning because it substantially impacts the future of these learners, who will struggle to find long-term employment as they lack the basic skills needed in a workplace.
“The DA proposes that the department must have mechanisms in place to track the learners who are lost in the system to ensure that no learner of school-going age is deprived of education.”
Chiloane replied: “The department implements section 3 of the South African Schools Act as it clearly identifies the compulsory school-going age; requires the MEC to ensure that there are enough school places for children of school going age; prohibits parents or any person from preventing learners from attending school and empowers the head of department to investigate and intervene in cases where learners of school going age are not at school.”
Pretoria News