Education
(a) What are the details of all Grade 12 learners who have not returned to school by (i) 5 June 2020, (ii) 12 June 2020 and (iii) 19 June 2020, (b) what (i) is the racial break-down of Grade 12 learners who have not returned to school and (ii) are the reasons therefor, (c) what measures did her Department take to (i) convince Grade 12 learners to return to school and (ii) assist them to catch up and (d) what is the number of Grade 12 learners who have fallen pregnant during the lockdown period?
(a) (i) 5 June 2020 27 691
(ii) 12 June 2020 3813
(iii) 19 June 2020 2130
(b)(i)
TOTAL | W | C | B | INDIAN | OTHER |
1 220 (current) | 50 | 663 | 495 | 6 | 6 |
(ii) The reasons are unknown at this stage. Schools have indicated that these learners and their parents are uncontactable.
(c) (i) and (ii)
- It was important that during lockdown we kept learners motivated so that they would feel confident and encouraged to complete their matric year, and thus return to school once they reopened.
- Therefore, during lockdown, matrics were supported through a variety of measures - @home learning through social media platforms, the provision of a Term 1 revision booklet, TV and radio broadcasts, additional resources on the e-portal and telematics.
- When schools reopened, the WCED asked schools to prioritise the matric learners, with high schools being asked to ensure that their revised education plans prioritise Grade 12 learners to attend school EVERY DAY.
- District officials are focussed on tracking Grade 12 learner attendance and encouraging teachers to support their learners to return to school.
- Gr 12 teachers have used various social media platforms such as WhatsApp groups, Zoom and Facebook to engage learners as an additional resource.
- The WCED has provided printed material (Workpacks) issued via schools for learners who cannot access the internet.
- A programme to reach out to Grade 12 learners is in progress – Participation in the Growth Mindset (GM) Intervention programme: Grade 12 learners.
- The Head of Department wrote a letter to the Grade 12s encouraging them to attend school and to complete their matric year.
- We continue to add resources to assist our matriculants. An exemplar book will also be delivered to schools this year.
(d) We do not currently have statistics for learners that have fallen pregnant during lockdown.
Information on pregnancies is collected during the Annual Schools Survey, conducted in March each year in reference to the previous year. On 3 March 2020, schools recorded 563 Grade 12 learners which had fallen pregnant during 2019. 2020 statistics will be available next year.
