National Education Policy Act, 1996 (Act No. 27 of 1996)PoliciesPolicy on Learner AttendanceD. Rationale for the Policy |
Importance of regular school attendance
| 9) | Enrolment of learners and their regular and punctual attendance at school are prerequisites for an educated nation. Moreover, enrolment and punctual, regular attendance at school are (is) important because- |
| a) | Each school has a duty to protect every learner's fundamental right to education; |
| b) | Enrolment at a school places a learner under an obligation to attend school punctually and regularly unless there is a valid reason for absence; |
| c) | A school that successfully curbs absence without valid reason will most likely improve learner retention and performance; and |
Importance of attendance records
| 10) | A daily record of learner attendance enables a school to monitor learners' absence and take appropriate follow up action with both parents and learners. Quarterly returns of learner absence enable district offices to track attendance trends at schools and to respond appropriately. |
¹ Community Agency for Social Enquiry and Joint Education Trust, Learner Absenteeism in the South African Schooling System. Researched for the Department of Education. Johannesburg: December 2007.
| 11) | Records of learner attendance may be required for legal purposes. It is therefore essential that a school maintains such records accurately. The principal and staff of a school act in loco parentis (in place of a parent) for a learner at a school. They therefore have a duty of care towards each learner who is recorded as present. If legal action were instituted against the school as a result of a mishap to a learner the accuracy of the learner attendance record could be an important issue before the court. |