The Bitter Future Problem: Many Learners Are Retained In Grade 10!

Yesterday many families celebrated the achievements of their children who passed their 2018 exams. But for many township learners the pain of retention in the same grade was the order of the day. The same pain was shared by the parents and guardians who hoped for the best from these learners to no avail.

One of my principal friends spoke to me frustrated by these learners "who seem not to be interested in the future." I know the literal pain of the principal signing more than half of the grade 10 learners report with an outcome of RETAINED. Many schools across the country are sitting with dilemma year in and year out. Thi grade which has become the gate keeper for many learners is a huge contributer in community social ills.

Lots of these learners who are retained in grade 10 are older than the grade they are in. Some end up in the TVET colleges while others chose to drop out of school completely. Next time you come accross the service delivery protest in a community which looks like its led by younger people, knwo that these are the outcomes of the unfavourab;le results that this principal was concerned about. The anger of not beiong able to get past grade 10 is ventilated with the burning of a library or community centre because this learner does not see the value of those centres.

The retention of the grade 10 learner does not start in the grade 10 year, but it starts earlier than that. While many organisations and NGO's are finding it lucrative to work with the grade 12 learner who has already passed through this critical grade, the grade job lies before the actual grade. High schools should begin to prioritize the grade 8 and 9 learners if they want to reduce the bottleneck that exist in grade 10. Much investment is needed phycho social issues, drug and teenage pregnancy awareness, as well as carrer guidance and choices. Failure to address these challenges at an early age has proven to be raising monsters who are ready to destroy the moral fibre of the society and the infrastructure that communities have fought so long for.

This matter cannot be left in the hands of one group anymore. Parents need to play their part, and the school should be welcoming of the external organizations to assist them in arresting this challenge.The department of education should also make the environment conducive with their policy provisions to help support the schools.The year has come to an end and all the stakeholders should not go into a sleep mode at this time, more thinking and strategizing be the order of the day during the recess.