How COVID is affecting school attendance in South Africa: piecing together the puzzle

By Debra Lynne Shepherd, Senior lecturer, Stellenbosch University

Estimating how many learners have dropped out of school as a consequence of the COVID pandemic is an issue governments across the globe are trying to pin down. The subject has been open to intense debate in South Africa and often receives additional attention when the results for the final year of schooling are due for release.

As academics examining trends in access and learning outcomes over the past decade, we have taken a particular interest in measuring how the pandemic has contributed to learner dropout.…

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