Progress through school and the determinants of school dropout in South Africa

Nicola Branson, Clare Hofmeyr () and David Lam
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Clare Hofmeyr: SALDRU, School of Economics, University of Cape Town

No 100, SALDRU Working Papers from Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town

Abstract: The release of the National Income Dynamics Study Wave 2 provides the first nationally representative longitudinal data collected in South Africa. This makes it possible to study transitions in and out of school, across grades and into work in ways not previously possible. We illustrate the high levels of grade repetition evident in South African schools and show how school completion presents a significant hurdle with very few youth successfully completing matric. Exit from school does not offer any advantages as most youth find themselves idle once they have left school. Our regression analysis investigates correlates of school dropout and shows that not keeping pace is a key determinant of school dropout, even after controlling for school quality and socioeconomic status. Those behind but attending higher quality schools are partially protected from dropping out. Some evidence that credit constraints may be related to dropout is found, especially among males.

Keywords: education; dropout; school completion; credit constraints in educational attainment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I20 I24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr, nep-edu and nep-ure
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Progress through school and the determinants of school dropout in South Africa (2014)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ldr:wpaper:100

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