Ntwaagae Seleka
The department denies the allegations, claiming it had found alternative schools for the affected pupils. "What is more alarming is that 53 000 of those who dropped out of school are... aged 6 to 15. They can't be employed anywhere. Child labour is not allowed in this country. We asked the department to find alternatives to prevent pupils from sitting at home, doing nothing. Since 9 February, pupils have never been to school. We visited the school, and it was confirmed that there is no teaching and learning.
"That is our statistic. When he questioned us, he focused on the number of pupils who didn't sit for last year's matric examinations. He was looking at where the group started in Grade 1. The number starts from those who dropped out of Grade 1 until 12.