More than half a million South African children are not going to school - 9% of them because they feel education is a waste of time.
The 564,680 children of schoolgoing age who stayed away in 2015 included 93,000 who regarded education as "useless or not interesting" or who struggled academically.
About a fifth of the total were in the compulsory schooling age group of seven to 15, while the rest were 16 to 18, said a report from the Department of Basic Education based on StatsSA's annual General Household Survey.
Although the report said the number of children not in school had decreased from 818,672 in 2002, department spokesman Elijah Mhlanga admitted the 2015 figure was "a very high number".The University of Pretoria's Centre for Child Law said it had received many complaints about children not being allowed to enrol at school because they did not have birth certificates. Academics also blamed the poor quality of education, particularly at township and rural schools.
The report said: "As a society, it is concerning that ... there was quite a high proportion of out-of-school learners who stated that the reason for not attending is because they regard education as being useless."
'All I can do is pray'
A mother of four from Bezuidenhout Valley in Johannesburg, whose 17-year-old son has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, said she removed him from school in Grade 4 after he became disruptive. She could not afford R100 a day for transport to a special school.
"He's on drugs. He comes and goes. You will see him at home for two days and then you don't see him for a week. All I can do is pray for my child to come home and stay home," said the mother, adding that she knew of three other children between 13 and 17 who had not gone to school for years.
Anjuli Maistry, a senior attorney at the Centre for Child Law, said: "In addition to having a constitution that highlights the importance of education, South Africa is also a signatory to international and regional human rights bodies that affirm the right to basic education.
"It therefore has obligations that require it to ensure that no child is left behind."
Children excluded from schooling "remain marginalised, on the outskirts of society and may turn to drugs and alcohol".
The centre's director, Professor Ann Skelton, said she had gone to court to try to enrol a physically disabled boy in a special school after the normal application process failed."We are currently in settlement discussions. But very few caregivers of children with disabilities will be able to fight through the courts to access education, and it should not be necessary."
The centre has also hauled the Eastern Cape education department to court for refusing to provide funding for pupils who do not have identity documents, study permits or passports. Schools in the province lose R1,243 for each child they enrol who does not have an ID.
Thabang Pooe, a legal researcher at public interest law centre Section27, said it was "unacceptable" for more than 560,000 children to be out of school.
"We need to remind children of the value of being educated. We recognise that the quality of education is lacking and it is the responsibility of the state to provide a quality basic education to every learner."
Eric Atmore, a professor in social development at the University of Cape Town, said poor education was a turn-off for children. "If you're taught by a ... poor teacher and there's very little discipline at school, young children, given the phase they are going through, would say: 'Why must I go to school? I'm not benefiting.'"..