3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item A study of prevalence, geographic distribution and socio-demographic profile of older adolescents dropping out of school in South Africa: a mixed methods study(2017) Monyela, Makgongoana HenrySouth Africa has made remarkable strides to increase educational access in the past three decades or so. Near-universal enrolments have been achieved in the compulsory phase, and many learners make a transition into the post-compulsory school phase. However, a major concern remains about consistently low matric completion rates, suggesting high levels of dropout in the senior phase. The release of 2016 matric results showed that half of the students who were in the national Grade 10 class three years earlier, did not make it to the matric examination hall on time or had dropped out of the system by the end of 2016. Given the unfavourable labour conditions, particularly excessive youth unemployment for the past decade or so, most youth exiting school prematurely without requisite skills, competencies and work-relevant capacities, are likely to face long-term unemployment among a host of other negative life outcomes. This study investigates the extent, the spatial distribution and socio-demographic characteristics of older adolescent school dropouts in the country. A broad conceptual framework, that is, the model of high school performance, guided the study. The conceptual framework was constructed to identify factors predicting dropout or high school completion. Its conception of dropout as a function of interaction between individual and institutional factors was useful framework for this study’s interest in potential demographic, family, school, and community factors that associate with older adolescent dropouts in the country. The study employed a pragmatist approach to attempt answer the guiding research question. Mixed methods sequential explanatory procedures were used to analyze the large-scale Census 2011 data and to administer data collection and analysis of the qualitative multiple case study data. The procedures involved the use of descriptive statistics and thematic analysis of the qualitative data. The results of the study show that, unlike other education outcomes, school participation or dropout is not distributed along the historical apartheid geography lines. This is contrary to the current research that tends to claim all education outcomes in the country do. The study reveals dropout distribution patterns that split the country along the east-west axis, which does not align with the apartheid geography lens. Instead, the results indicate that dropout is a much more localized experience, driven by local-level dynamics rather than macro forces at provincial level. In addition, the results show that dropout is neither urban nor rural phenomenon. The factors that the quantitative phase of this study and the statistical research in general, single out as predictors of dropout, are important features in the narrative of dropout, but are not necessarily explaining premature exit. The qualitative data and findings show that the commonly cited factors are actually events, and often traumatic, that trigger a series of reactions including withdrawal from school by the affected adolescents. Based on these findings, the study proposes a preliminary model of dropout that considers the trigger factor in combination with debilitating context of the individual to sufficiently account for premature school exit.Item Prevalence, distribution and characteristics of youth not enrolled in school : evidence from the Community Survey 2007, South Africa.(2012-03-15) Monyela, Makgongoana HenryThe Education for All Movement (EFA) premises its commitment on the belief that quality education for all youth will ensure that they have equal access to skills and knowledge that will assist them in getting into gainful employment and enable them to participate fully in their societies. The importance and benefits of providing access to education and lifelong learning opportunities to youth has been acknowledged by a majority of world countries. These countries believe that quality education to youth means the ability to survive, to live and work in dignity, to participate fully in development, improve quality of their lives, to make informed decisions, and continuous learning – requirements for citizens of the 21st century. However, EFA mid-term report shows that as much as 42% of the world’s secondary school going-age youth were not enrolled in 2006, the majority of these youth are found in sub-Saharan Africa. There are a few empirical studies on the extent of school non-attendance and the profile of these youth not enrolled in an educational institution in the region. The study makes use of the Statistics South Africa dataset, Community Survey 2007, to determine the prevalence of school non-enrolment in South Africa among the 16 to 18 year olds. Second, the study attempts to establish the characteristics of the youth not enrolled in an education institution. To this end, the study analyzed the extent of non-enrolment prevalence, vi and the geographic distribution of the problem. In order to determine the geographic distribution of the problem, I first look at the size of school non-enrolment problem, nationally. I then analyse provincial, district and local patterns of school non-enrolment. Lastly, I analyse the data for identifiable individual and family factors that could be associated with the youth not currently enrolled in an educational institution. My analysis shows that the extent of youth between 16 and 18 years not enrolled in school is 16.6%, confirming recent government reports on prevalence among this age cohort. The study reveals physiographic and sub-population characteristics associated with non-enrolment in school. Disability, lack of access to social security grants, the low education level of a parent, or head of household that is not a parent are factors found to be related with low school participation by youth from those households. The study recommends a deeper investigation on the impact that the physiographic characteristics have on patterns of school enrolment.