School dropouts
“82 % of prisoners in the United States are high-school dropouts. A high-school dropout between the ages of 30 and 34 is two-thirds more likely to be in jail, or to have been in jail, or to be dead.” ~ Kamala Harris
Fast Facts on Schooling in South Africa
- 27% of pupils who have attended school for six years can still NOT read.
- Only 37% of children starting school pass the matriculation exam.
- Only 400 761, about 40% of the 512 700 registered to write, passed matric in 2018. Note more than 1 002 500 pupils registered for Grade 1 in 2007.
- Only 4% of learners eventually earn a degree.
- Money is not the problem. In South Africa, public spending on education is 4% of GDP; the average share in EU countries is 4.8%. Few countries spend as much to so little effect.
- In one study in 2007, mathematics teachers of 11- and 12-year-olds took tests similar to those taken by their class; questions included simple calculations of fractions and ratios. A scandalous 79% of teachers scored below the level expected of the pupils.
- A typical school day in South Korea is 9 hours, but most students stay at school or go to a study room until 11 pm or later. The average school day for a student who goes to South Africa is 5 hours for grades one and two, 6 hours for grades three to nine, and between about 6 -7 hours for grades ten through eleven.
Without a Grade 12 certificate, the learners who leave school are more likely to head down a path that leads to lower-paying jobs, poorer health, and the possible continuation of a cycle of poverty that creates immense challenges for families, neighbourhoods, and communities.
How to prevent kids from dropping out of school:
- Parents should be INVOLVED in the child’s education. Parents should help children at home as far as possible and ensure they do their homework.
- Cultivate Relationships: A concerned teacher or trusted adult can differentiate between a student staying in school and dropping out. Get to know your child’s teacher and be open to advice.
- Pay attention to warning signs that a child may contemplate dropping out of school, such as being absent often. Get help as soon as possible if your child’s grades drop or if they fail classes. Nothing is as demotivating as failing a grade a second time.
- Teachers should do their best to make learning relevant and exciting: They should be qualified to teach the subject. Boredom and disengagement are two key reasons students stop attending class and drop out of school.
- Raise the Academic Bar: Increased rigour doesn’t have to mean increased dropout rates. Higher expectations and a more challenging curriculum, coupled with the support students need to be successful, have proven to be an effective strategy for increasing graduation rates and preparing students to graduate from high school with options. The Department of Education has lowered the academic bar yearly for the past 20 years to increase the pass rate.
- Think Small: Large comprehensive high schools are a place to get lost rather than to thrive for too many students. That’s why districts throughout the country are working to personalize learning by creating small schools or reorganizing large schools into small learning communities to reduce the dropout rate.
- Develop a Community Plan: 3 key elements of a community-driven plan:
First is knowledge — understanding the scope of the problem and current programs, practices, and resources targeted at addressing it.
Second is strategy — developing a “dropout prevention, intervention, and recovery plan” focusing on community resources.
Last is an ongoing assessment, which is the regular evaluation and improvement of practices to ensure community initiatives have the desired effect.
- Invest in Preschool: Preschool is an early investment in youth that yields significant economic results later. For example, by age 28, a group that began preschool at age three or four had higher educational levels and incomes and lowered substance abuse problems, according to a survey by Chicago’s early childhood education program Child-Parent Centre.
Source:
How to End the Dropout Crisis: 10 Strategies for Student Retention | Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/student-dropout-retention-strategies/
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Other photos in the article: Pixabay Free Licence