The drop-out rate of children at schools in the Northern Cape reached a historic high of 7% — or 21 415 learners — in 2020. This is higher than the average 4% — or 11 000 learners — drop-out rate over the previous 10 years.
Richie, 27, who started mining diamonds at the age of 15, left school when he was in grade 10. Terrence, 25, also a backyard digger, was introduced to mining at the age of 13 by his brothers. Shetner, 28, and Ahgurno, 26, share similar pasts. The department of education in the Northern Cape says it only tracks learners who are in the school system and therefore does not have statistics on the number of children involved in illegal mining activities.
“There is moral decay which causes parents to not take responsibility for their children,” contends Cloete, who was the sole social worker for 74 schools in the Namaqua district. “The children at the mines do not go to school. When they are out, they are out. The school system fails them, if they do not go to school for a certain period, they are expelled,” he adds.
“The QLTC programmes include among others, awareness around teenage pregnancies, love your school campaigns, adopt a school campaign, working with [the department of] home affairs [to] secure birth certificates and IDs for learners who qualify for grants, guardianship programmes and dignity programme[s],” he says.
Child labor shouldn't be happening at all