Qacha’s Nek, May.20 — Located in the remote mountains of Matebeng, Qudu Primary School faces a growing crisis that threatens the future of its children: high absenteeism.
Principal ’Mabafokeng Mokebe paints a grim picture. “Most of our learners are raised by grandparents because their parents are working in South Africa. They only come home in December,” she told the Agency.
As a result, many children come to school without proper uniforms or don’t come at all.
While frigid temperatures and lack of proper clothing play a role, Mrs. Mokebe says that although some pupils miss school to herd livestock, a larger number simply miss school without valid reasons, often due to neglect.
Vulnerability, she adds, is the common thread.
Yet the learning environment is hardly conducive. The school has only five teachers, including Mrs. Mokebe, tasked with educating 100 pupils across seven grades. With just two classrooms, four grades are squeezed into one room, while the other three share space that also serves as an office. . .
