10 Aug 2023

The number of pupils enrolment in junior schools was 638 091 between 2018 and 2022, out of which the number of drop-outs recorded was 8 799 or 1.36 per cent.

The Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Ms Naniki Makwinja, told Parliament on Wednesday that of all the drop-outs, 3 438 were boarders while 5 361 were day scholars.

“Truancy accounted for 2 185 of the total drop-outs among boarders while for day scholars it accounted for 1 702,” she said.

Ms Makwinja said various factors contributed to truancy in schools, among them lack of parental care, bullying, substance abuse, peer pressure, poor academic achievement and child labour.

She said to remedy the challenge, schools are applying multiple strategies such as home visits, referrals to social and community development officers, stakeholder involvement such as dikgosi, police and baruti as well as the usage of the guidance and counselling unit.

She said her ministry also acknowledged the need to convert one of the junior schools in the Jwaneng/Mabutsane constituency into a unified secondary school, but that considerations would only be done in the NDP 12.

Ms Makwinja also said the number of pupils who transitioned to secondary schools nationally increased from 23 429 in 2018 to 27 028 in 2021, which translated to 15 percent.

She said that on the other hand, the average transition rate for Form Fours for the same period was four percent.

Ms Makwinja was responding to a question from the Member of Parliament for Jwaneng/Mabutsane, Mr Mephato Reatile, who had enquired on the number of pupils enrolled in junior schools since 2018 to 2022, and how many of them, both day scholars and boarders had dropped out in the same period. He also wanted to know the factors that contributed to truancy and strategies in place to address the same.

Mr Reatile also wanted to know the number of pupils who transitioned to senior schools for the same period, and whether the ministry would consider turning one of the junior schools in his constituency into a unified secondary school. Ends