The high failure rate among learners in grade twelve in the Northern Province: an education perspective

English: Bantu Education set up a separate system of education for black children, which disadvantaged them in the provision of resources. While this led to the 1976 resistance to Bantu Education, it also led to the decline in the culture of teaching and learning in schools. After 1994 the new government began the process of creating one single education department from 17 separate ones and of redressing the inequalities that had existed for so long. This research examines the nature and causes of high failure rates in Grade 12 in the Northern Province. It also discloses the lack of resources prevailing in the schools and the effects of these poor resources. Loss of school days due to boycotts, strikes, late registration, meetings held during school hours and absenteeism is also disclosed by this research. Parental disinterest in the education of their children coupled with failure to integrate the school in the local community, poverty, illiteracy, absence of parents from home and unemployment, were disclosed by this research to be among the contributory factors towards high failure rates. An attempt was further made by this research to disclose the staff-related problems such as poor salaries, lack of evaluation, lack of promotional opportunities, male dominated appointments into promotion posts and lack of training opportunities as further contributory factors. Although not all solutions can be provided by this research, it ends with the presentation of the recommendations towards addressing the problem of high failure rates in Grade 12 in the Northern Province by means of a holistic approach.