The Department of Education is considering a ‘no repeat policy’ for foundation phase learners at South African schools.<\/p>\n
In her 2018\/2019 budget speech published<\/a> <\/strong>in May, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said that one of her key focuses for the upcoming year was a review of the country’s progression and promotion policies – especially in the lower grades.<\/p>\n “A number of education experts have opined on this matter, and the overwhelming message is that it does not make any educational sense to make young children aged six to ten years, repeat a grade<\/strong>,” she said.<\/p>\n “According to the experts, the children who repeat, on the whole, gain absolutely nothing. On the contrary, for many affected children, repetition is a powerful early signal of failure \u2013 a signal that lasts through the individual\u2019s life.<\/p>\n “To improve the efficiency of the system, we are also focusing on Grades 9 to 11, as repetition and drop-out rates are also high in these grades.”<\/p>\n