EFF worried about drop-out rate as inland schools reopen
The EFF says the number of pupil who drop out of school due to Covid-19 disruptions is of great concern.
The party says the Department of Basic Education seems to have no plan to ensure pupils who dropped out are readmitted back into the system.
Pupils in inland provinces will be returning back to school on Wednesday.
The pupils will start yet another academic year under challenging Covid-19 conditions and will have to comply with relevant health protocols.
This has affected the quality of teaching and learning in the previous year leading to an increase in the school dropout rate.
Spokesperson Vuyani Pambo believes an increase in dropout rate is due to lack of leadership.
“The massive dropouts are due to the directionless leadership within the department exacerbated by rotational timetabling and lack of adequate support to educators and Learners.
"There must be a continued focus on keeping learners and educators in safe classrooms, by observing all COVID-19 protocols and providing sufficient PPE.
"Rotational time-tabling and remote learning has exacerbated existing educational inequalities and has been detrimental to the educational attainment of poor and working class learners."
He adds that the admission crisis in some provinces will worsen the drop-out rate.
“The admission crisis of approximately 400 000 learners who have not been placed in any school will further exacerbate educational inequalities, increasing poverty and illiteracy.
"The EFF calls for the end of rotational timetabling with immediate effect and for the Education Department to prioritise vaccination education among educators and learners to enable full time learning in all schools."
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