INC3701
ASSIGNMENT 4 (ANSWERS) YEAR MODULE
DUE DATE: 21 JULY 2025
Written Assignment Submission Guidelines:
Please ensure that your assignment is submitted electronically through the myUnisa platform no
later than July 2025. Kindly note that fax or email submissions will not be accepted.
NB: Assignment submitted to the lecturer(s) through email will not be considered.
QUESTION 1
1.1 Key challenges faced by learners in South Africa that contribute to school dropout. (10)
Learners in South Africa face severe socio-economic and structural challenges that cumulatively
contribute to high dropout rates.
• Firstly, hunger and food insecurity is a major challenge, as highlighted in the article where
many children wake up hungry with no supper the night before, and often rely on school
feeding schemes for their only meal of the day.
• Secondly, unsafe and long commutes to school exacerbate learner fatigue and absenteeism;
some children walk over 10 kilometres each way in rural areas, while others risk exposure to
taxi violence or gang-related shootings, such as on the Cape Flats.
• Thirdly, overcrowded classrooms and under-resourced learning environments also hinder
learning; classes can have up to 60 learners with bare walls and barred windows, leading to
uninspiring and rushed lessons that fail to engage all learners.
• Fourthly, violence, bullying, and abuse are prevalent in schools, with the article citing that 48%
of Grade 5 learners in no-fee schools are bullied weekly, while girls face sexual violence by
teachers and classmates, and corporal punishment remains widespread despite its ban.
ASSIGNMENT 4 (ANSWERS) YEAR MODULE
DUE DATE: 21 JULY 2025
Written Assignment Submission Guidelines:
Please ensure that your assignment is submitted electronically through the myUnisa platform no
later than July 2025. Kindly note that fax or email submissions will not be accepted.
NB: Assignment submitted to the lecturer(s) through email will not be considered.
QUESTION 1
1.1 Key challenges faced by learners in South Africa that contribute to school dropout. (10)
Learners in South Africa face severe socio-economic and structural challenges that cumulatively
contribute to high dropout rates.
• Firstly, hunger and food insecurity is a major challenge, as highlighted in the article where
many children wake up hungry with no supper the night before, and often rely on school
feeding schemes for their only meal of the day.
• Secondly, unsafe and long commutes to school exacerbate learner fatigue and absenteeism;
some children walk over 10 kilometres each way in rural areas, while others risk exposure to
taxi violence or gang-related shootings, such as on the Cape Flats.
• Thirdly, overcrowded classrooms and under-resourced learning environments also hinder
learning; classes can have up to 60 learners with bare walls and barred windows, leading to
uninspiring and rushed lessons that fail to engage all learners.
• Fourthly, violence, bullying, and abuse are prevalent in schools, with the article citing that 48%
of Grade 5 learners in no-fee schools are bullied weekly, while girls face sexual violence by
teachers and classmates, and corporal punishment remains widespread despite its ban.
