School dropout rates double since 1995: SAIRR

School dropout rates have more than doubled since 1995, the SA Institute of Race Relations said on Wednesday.

"While there are more pupils in the schooling system, fewer manage to reach the end of their schooling careers, with dropout rates more than doubling since 1995," said SAIRR researcher Thuthukani Ndebele in a statement.

"This suggests that pupils are less equipped to complete school within the expected timeframe."

Ndebele said 22 percent of the grade 10 class of 1995 did not write their matric exam in 1997, and 49% of the grade 10s of 2010 failed to become matric candidates in 2012.

He said the grade 10 class of 1995 consisted of 719,190 pupils, with 559,233 becoming matric candidates in 1997.

The grade 10 class of 2010 had 1,006,381 pupils, but only 511,152 became matric candidates in 2012.

The data was sourced from the basic education department.

"Despite there being more grade 10s in 2010 than in 1995, there were 48,000 fewer matric candidates in 2012 than in 1997," said Ndebele.

He said pupil dropouts were often due to a lack of funds, work or family commitments, or the view that school was unnecessary.