National Education Policy Act, 1996 (Act No. 27 of 1996)PoliciesPolicy on Learner AttendanceC. Context |
| 7) | Learners stay away from school for many reasons, but in many communities poverty is the root cause of irregular school attendance. Irregular attendance may be the result of parents' inability to pay school fees or buy uniforms; lack of transport to school; parents' or children's chronic illness, including HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis; poor nutrition or hunger; child labour; unstable or dysfunctional family life; and gang violence.¹ |
| 8) | Several official programmes relevant to school attendance are aimed at alleviating the worst effects of chronic poverty. These include the extension of the child support grant to impoverished children aged 16 to 18; the implementation of HIV and AIDS programmes; the expansion of the Early Childhood Development programme; the National School Nutrition Programme; and the No-Fee School policy. |