SA's class of 2025 faces exams amidst dropout crisis

Almost 450 000 have left the system since starting Grade 1 in 2014

- MASABATA MKWANANZI

THE class of 2025 is getting ready for their final matric exams today, and worries about South Africa’s persistent school dropout problem are very real.

While over 715 000 learners are registered for this year’s exams, almost 450 000 have already left the system since starting Grade 1 in 2014, highlighting a persistent challenge in the country’s education sector.

As students across the province receive uplifting messages from political parties and community leaders, Siviwe Gwarube, the Education Minister, will be asked questions orally in Parliament.

Roger Solomons, Build One South Africa (BOSA) spokesperson, said that on October 15 the party launched a nationwide accountability campaign, “Where Are They Now?’, to expose the full scale of South Africas school dropout crisis. The campaign aims to hold Gwarube accountable for the hundreds of thousands of young people who will not reach the exam room.

He added that while around 715 000 learners are registered to write their matric exams this year, more than 1.1 million were enrolled when this cohort started Grade 1 in 2014.

“It is chilling that approximately 450 000 learners have disappeared from the system before even reaching their final year; Solomons said.

He noted that these dropouts represent thousands of young South Africans whose stories are often overlooked in celebrations of top achievers and pass rates. Many left school because of hunger, poverty, teenage pregnancy, violence, or frustration with a failing education system.

Solomons described them as “South Africa's forgotten generation, who deserve accountability and answers.

He said the party will raise the issue directly with Gwarube in Parliament today during oral questions.

Solomons highlighted urgent interventions that could help address the crisis, including reducing class sizes, improving teacher support, and providing psychosocial and nutritional assistance to vulnerable learners.