{"id":319396,"date":"2026-05-07T12:19:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:19:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/?p=319396"},"modified":"2026-06-18T17:18:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T15:18:16","slug":"younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year","status":"publish","type":"school_article","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/school\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Younger Grade 1 pupils more likely to repeat the year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A Stellenbosch University study has found that children who begin Grade 1 at a younger age are significantly more likely to repeat the grade, with repetition rates as high as 20% for the youngest starters compared to about 8% for older entrants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research, conducted by Bianca B\u00f6hmer of the university’s Research on Socio-Economic Policy Unit (RESEP) and published in April 2026, draws on learner-level administrative data from six provinces — Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West — covering pupils who entered Grade 1 for the first time in 2018 and were tracked through to Grade 4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An unequal playing field from Day 1<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

South Africa’s admissions regulations allow children to start Grade 1 across an unusually wide 18-month window; a child may enter as young as 5\u00bd or as old as 7. The study found that schools generally follow either of two dominant admissions practices. Poorer rural schools tend to operate on a mid-year regime, admitting younger children on average, while wealthier urban schools follow a calendar-year regime that results in slightly older entry cohorts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The consequences are stark. B\u00f6hmer found that a child who is one year older than a classmate at the point of entry ranks approximately 19 to 24 percentile points higher within the school by the end of Grade 1. Although this gap narrows somewhat by Grade 4, it remains substantial \u2014 at roughly 9 to 12 percentile points \u2014 suggesting that the disadvantage of an early start is not quickly outgrown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

READ ALSO:<\/strong> New research exposes gaps in South Africa\u2019s fight against stunting<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Repetition rates tell the same story. Overall, about 13% of Grade 1 learners repeat the year, and approximately 25% repeat at least once during the Foundation Phase (Grades 1 to 3). An additional year of age at entry is estimated to reduce Grade 1 repetition by between 10 to 16 percentile points, a striking reduction relative to the mean repetition rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boys and poorer learners bear the brunt<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The study found that the effects are not evenly distributed. Boys are disproportionately affected: they achieve lower marks than girls across all subjects and are about twice as likely to repeat Grade 1. The relative-age penalty is particularly pronounced in mathematics for boys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learners in lower-quintile schools, those serving less affluent communities, also experience stronger effects in absolute terms. Mid-year schools, which are disproportionately lower-quintile and rural, record higher-average repetition rates of about 25%, compared with approximately 18% in calendar-year schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Policy recommendations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

B\u00f6hmer’s policy recommendations stop short of calling for sweeping legislative change. Instead, the paper advocates for a set of practical targeted interventions. These include improving the quality of instruction in Grades 1 to 3, strengthening parental guidance, particularly for children born between January and June who may be admitted to school before they are developmentally ready, and expanding access to high-quality early-childhood development programmes, including making Grade R universal and better funded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researcher also calls for greater awareness among teachers, early-childhood development practitioners and school officials about the relationship among age, maturity and school readiness. Where feasible, schools are encouraged to consider shifting towards calendar-year admissions practices, which do not require changes to legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

READ ALSO:<\/strong> Teen develops offline AI study assistant to bridge digital divide<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study acknowledges that further research, ideally using standardised learning assessments and tracking learners into later schooling and adult life, is needed before any major regulatory reforms are recommended.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New research shows children who start Grade 1 younger are far more likely to repeat the year \u2014 and the gap persists into Grade 4.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":319397,"template":"","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"Grade 1 age repetition South Africa","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"A Stellenbosch University study finds younger Grade 1 starters face higher repetition rates, with boys and poorer learners hit hardest.","_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"66","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"60","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"90","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"3","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"1","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"1","article_feature_type":"normal","article_main_image_caption":"Grade 1 learners: a Stellenbosch University study links younger school entry to higher repetition rates.","article_media_icon":"1","article_template":"news","author_byline":"","background_color":"","block_editor":"1","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"headline dummy text","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"May7_Mpstudy","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":["May7_Mpstudy_P1"],"footnotes":""},"school":[],"school_topic":[],"school_activity":[],"school_province":[],"class_list":["post-319396","school_article","type-school_article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nYounger Grade 1 pupils more likely to repeat the year | TygerBurger<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A Stellenbosch University study finds younger Grade 1 starters face higher repetition rates, with boys and poorer learners hit hardest.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Younger Grade 1 pupils more likely to repeat the year\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A Stellenbosch University study finds younger Grade 1 starters face higher repetition rates, with boys and poorer learners hit hardest.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/school\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TygerBurger\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TygerBurger\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-07T10:19:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-18T15:18:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ChatGPTImageMay7-202_12229-e1778149229523.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1012\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"784\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"TygerBurger\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@tygerburger\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@tygerburger\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"TygerBurger\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"TygerBurger\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0f71e348ba4b9942416d90370345e952\"},\"headline\":\"Younger Grade 1 pupils more likely to repeat the year\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-07T10:19:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-18T15:18:16+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":553,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/ChatGPTImageMay7-202_12229-e1778149229523.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Featured\",\"Research on Socio-Economic Policy Unit (RESEP)\",\"Stellenbosch University\",\"Top\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\",\"School\",\"Schools\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\\\/\",\"name\":\"Younger Grade 1 pupils more likely to repeat the year | TygerBurger\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/ChatGPTImageMay7-202_12229-e1778149229523.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-07T10:19:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-18T15:18:16+00:00\",\"description\":\"A Stellenbosch University study finds younger Grade 1 starters face higher repetition rates, with boys and poorer learners hit hardest.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/ChatGPTImageMay7-202_12229-e1778149229523.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/ChatGPTImageMay7-202_12229-e1778149229523.jpg\",\"width\":1012,\"height\":784,\"caption\":\"Grade 1 learners: a Stellenbosch University study links younger school entry to higher repetition rates.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Younger Grade 1 pupils more likely to repeat the year\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/\",\"name\":\"TygerBurger\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"TygerBurger\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/tyger-burger-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/tyger-burger-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"TygerBurger\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/TygerBurger\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/tygerburger\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/tygerburger\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@TygerBurger-SA\"],\"description\":\"Tygerburger has been a staple in the northern suburbs of Cape Town for many years, providing readers with timely and relevant local news. TygerBurger is a free weekly community newspaper distributed in the northern suburbs of Cape Town, serving areas including Bellville, Durbanville, Parow, Kuils River, Brackenfell, Kraaifontein, Goodwood, Milnerton, Table View, Tyger Valley, De Grendel, Mitchells Plain, Eerste River, Elsies River, and Ravensmead.\",\"email\":\"tygerburger@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"+27219106500\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0f71e348ba4b9942416d90370345e952\",\"name\":\"TygerBurger\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ae2ee35b60e108b154991fcbdb6e9114c9fa89c1b3386c09fa6f9b73c43dd5af?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ae2ee35b60e108b154991fcbdb6e9114c9fa89c1b3386c09fa6f9b73c43dd5af?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ae2ee35b60e108b154991fcbdb6e9114c9fa89c1b3386c09fa6f9b73c43dd5af?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"TygerBurger\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/author\\\/tygerburger\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Younger Grade 1 pupils more likely to repeat the year | TygerBurger","description":"A Stellenbosch University study finds younger Grade 1 starters face higher repetition rates, with boys and poorer learners hit hardest.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Younger Grade 1 pupils more likely to repeat the year","og_description":"A Stellenbosch University study finds younger Grade 1 starters face higher repetition rates, with boys and poorer learners hit hardest.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/school\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\/","og_site_name":"TygerBurger","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TygerBurger\/","article_published_time":"2026-05-07T10:19:25+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-06-18T15:18:16+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1012,"height":784,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ChatGPTImageMay7-202_12229-e1778149229523.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"TygerBurger","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@tygerburger","twitter_site":"@tygerburger","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"TygerBurger","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\/"},"author":{"name":"TygerBurger","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#\/schema\/person\/0f71e348ba4b9942416d90370345e952"},"headline":"Younger Grade 1 pupils more likely to repeat the year","datePublished":"2026-05-07T10:19:25+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-18T15:18:16+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\/"},"wordCount":553,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ChatGPTImageMay7-202_12229-e1778149229523.jpg","keywords":["Featured","Research on Socio-Economic Policy Unit (RESEP)","Stellenbosch University","Top"],"articleSection":["News","School","Schools"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\/","name":"Younger Grade 1 pupils more likely to repeat the year | TygerBurger","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ChatGPTImageMay7-202_12229-e1778149229523.jpg","datePublished":"2026-05-07T10:19:25+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-18T15:18:16+00:00","description":"A Stellenbosch University study finds younger Grade 1 starters face higher repetition rates, with boys and poorer learners hit hardest.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ChatGPTImageMay7-202_12229-e1778149229523.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ChatGPTImageMay7-202_12229-e1778149229523.jpg","width":1012,"height":784,"caption":"Grade 1 learners: a Stellenbosch University study links younger school entry to higher repetition rates."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/younger-grade-1-pupils-more-likely-to-repeat-the-year\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Younger Grade 1 pupils more likely to repeat the year"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/","name":"TygerBurger","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#organization","name":"TygerBurger","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/tyger-burger-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/tyger-burger-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"TygerBurger"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TygerBurger\/","https:\/\/x.com\/tygerburger","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tygerburger\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@TygerBurger-SA"],"description":"Tygerburger has been a staple in the northern suburbs of Cape Town for many years, providing readers with timely and relevant local news. TygerBurger is a free weekly community newspaper distributed in the northern suburbs of Cape Town, serving areas including Bellville, Durbanville, Parow, Kuils River, Brackenfell, Kraaifontein, Goodwood, Milnerton, Table View, Tyger Valley, De Grendel, Mitchells Plain, Eerste River, Elsies River, and Ravensmead.","email":"tygerburger@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"+27219106500","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#\/schema\/person\/0f71e348ba4b9942416d90370345e952","name":"TygerBurger","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ae2ee35b60e108b154991fcbdb6e9114c9fa89c1b3386c09fa6f9b73c43dd5af?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ae2ee35b60e108b154991fcbdb6e9114c9fa89c1b3386c09fa6f9b73c43dd5af?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ae2ee35b60e108b154991fcbdb6e9114c9fa89c1b3386c09fa6f9b73c43dd5af?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"TygerBurger"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/author\/tygerburger\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"TygerBurger","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/school_article\/319396","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/school_article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/school_article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/school_article\/319396\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/319397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=319396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"school","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/school?post=319396"},{"taxonomy":"school_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/school_topic?post=319396"},{"taxonomy":"school_activity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/school_activity?post=319396"},{"taxonomy":"school_province","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/school_province?post=319396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}