President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted the alarming dropout crisis in South African education during the annual Basic Education Sector Lekgotla held in Johannesburg, Gauteng, on 21 January.
Speaking at the gathering, Ramaphosa revealed that approximately half a million children who entered the school system 12 years ago have dropped out between grades 10 and 12.
“We need to ask ourselves, what is it that makes these young children drop out of schools?” Ramaphosa asked. “As we strive to improve the quality of our matric results, we must work harder to ensure that more children complete their schooling.”
The three-day event, hosted by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) from 20 to 22 January 2026, runs under the theme “Strengthening Foundations for a Resilient and Future-Ready Education System.” According to the presidency, the gathering brings together senior education officials, policymakers, provincial education departments, development partners and sector experts to review progress, interrogate system-wide challenges, and collectively shape priorities aimed at improving learner outcomes.
Ramaphosa identified multiple factors contributing to the dropout crisis: “Our children experience enormous problems. Some of them have to do with money. Some of them have to do with the environment at home. Some of them have to do with mental health, and some of them have to do with bullying at school.”
He emphasised the need for comprehensive support systems: “We need to ensure that we provide psychosocial support to those facing challenges in their homes. Sometimes it’s domestic responsibilities that they have to perform. We all need that support; we all need someone to hold our hand. The teachers are at the forefront, and parents are also at the forefront.”
The President also highlighted absent fathers as a contributing factor: “Sometimes there’s a problem of absent fathers, those who are not there in the lives of their children. We must identify whether that is a problem and take remedial action.”
Beyond addressing dropouts, Ramaphosa shifted focus to early childhood development, stating that whilst there is heavy focus on matric results, solid foundations in early learning from birth to 9 years are crucial.
He admitted that the 5th administration failed to realise the value of early childhood learning: “As a nation, we delayed this inordinately. We thought somehow that by getting our children to attend crèches where they were just playing and sleeping many hours, that that was learning. That did our country and our young people a disservice.”
“We realised this many years later, which I regret. It was in the 5th administration that we started having that discussion, and in the 6th administration, we implemented it,” he explained.
Ramaphosa emphasised the importance of early education: “We should be much more focused on early learning because it lays the groundwork for cognitive, social, and emotional development. Children who receive early education are better prepared for future learning experiences.”
He referenced international examples: “When I met teachers in Canada, they told me they start at 2 years old. They put them into the school system and start coding at 2 years old.”
Ramaphosa stressed: “Let us make foundational learning the heartbeat of our education system. I’m glad that your theme is about foundational learning. Together, we can ensure that every child in South Africa is ready for the future.”
