Survey: 2/3 of Grade 10s don't pass matric

2012-01-19 13:32

Johannesburg - Two out of every three pupils in Grade 10 do not go on to pass matric, a survey has found.

"Most pupils who drop out before completing high school do so as a result of a lack of funds," SA Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) researcher Jonathan Snyman said on Thursday.

"Other common reasons that pupils leave school are to look for work or because of family commitments. There is also a common view that being at school is not relevant to their lives," he said.

The SAIRR survey found that fewer than half of those who enrolled in Grade 10 in 2008 sat for the 2010 matric exams.

Only 34% of all 2008 pupils went on to pass matric in 2010, and only a third of those passes were good enough to gain admission to university to study for a bachelor’s degree.

Those who did not complete high school along with those whose highest qualification was matric, accounted for 81% of all unemployed in the country, the survey found.

Only 6% of the unemployed were people who had completed a tertiary education.

The survey was based on data released by the department of basic education and will be officially released next week.

“The biggest problem is that pupils who drop out of school often never return to finish their education,” Jonathan Snyman, one of the SAIRR’s researchers said.

“As many as a third of all 15–24 year-olds are not in employment, education, or training.”

- SAPA