AROUND 28% of pupils at eight high schools in Philippi reportedly dropped out before they could write the 2021 matric exams.
This is according to a study conducted by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Amandla Development, over a period of four years into trends and challenges affecting pupils at schools in the area.
The results of the study have raised concerns over the high dropout rates as well as the factors that influence this trend. And although the Covid-19 pandemic affected learning for many, pupils in Philippi faced multiple challenges to completing their education, even outside of the global pandemic. These included socio-economic issues such as violence, drugs, HIV, hunger and lack of academic support.
The survey also showed that fewer pupils sat for the matric exams in 2021, compared to previous years.
According to the results, only 72% of pupils enrolled in the eight high schools in 2018 sat for the matric exams in 2021, with 28% having dropped out.
"This number is of great concern. There are a number of contributing factors, but we also need to know what form of support we can give the learners. Some come from households with less income, are raised by single mothers or raise households themselves," said programme manager, Taona Tsopo.
Last year fewer pupils completed matric than in 2019 and 2020 - a dropout rate of 6.4% and 0.4 %, respectively.
In 2019 about 48.10% pupils sat for the matric exams, while in 2021, only 41.70 % completed matric.
The survey also showed that the average pass rate for the schools in the area was at 69%, compared to the provincial rate of 81.2%.
In 2021, only 32% of the matric pupils obtained a bachelors or diploma pass, but the number of those who qualified to study at a TVET College increased by 15% compared to the previous year.
The key reasons cited for the dropout rate included unplanned pregnancies, the inability of parents to pay school fees, and some leaving because they felt they needed to support their families.
The survey results also suggested that some pupils were struggling with depression and many did not "trust" health facilities.
Most pupils started their day without having eaten breakfast and this had an impact on their ability to focus at school, the survey showed.
The main source of income among those surveyed was the government's social grants, and a few indicated that their single mothers were their source of income.
Around 22% of the pupils surveyed said hunger was a key factor that made them unable to focus on learning.
More than 60% handled homework on their own without support, while 16% tackled it with friends and 10% were assisted by family members.
Over half of the pupils surveyed lived in brick homes and 39% from corrugated shacks.
"The environment also plays a significant role in the learners' ability to study without disturbance," said the organisation’s advocacy officer, Nontembeko Mpofu.
Safety at schools and while travelling to school was also a concern for pupils in the area.
A project manager, Phelisa Manyisane-Somciza, said as much as 41% of pupils at one of the schools felt unsafe while walking to school, while those at Phakama and Phandulwazi High Schools felt the least safe.
Over half of the pupils indicated that they felt unsafe at schools as they had either witnessed or experienced some form of crime or feared being hurt at school.
However, the results also showed that the pupils showed grit and regarded education as being important.
“The resilience is commendable. But how long will these learners hold against a system that works against them?” Tsopo asked.
According to Amandla, the survey results would also provide those rendering services and receiving them, to jointly analyse issues underlying service delivery problems and finding a common and shared way of addressing them.