The ||Kharas Education Directorate Director, Nicolas Eiman, has revealed that, out of an average of 2,800 Grade 1 learners enrolled annually in the region, about 800 could not be accounted for by the time they reached Grade 7.

This is equivalent to an estimated 28% drop-out rate.

He made the revelation during an engagement session between the Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, Dr Sanet Steenkamp, principals and HoDs of schools in Keetmanshoop as well as the regional education leadership.

The regional education director further indicated that both the learner and teacher populations in the region show a steady growth of 3% annually.

Currently the region has 64 schools with a learner population of 27 544.

"And by the time those learners go to AS, like the previous year, we only have 302 learners. So, from the 2800 that started in Grade 1, it is only 302 of those that actually reached AS, which means that we really need to look into how we address this one."

Commenting on the schools' dropout rates, Dr Steenkamp urged schools to take responsibility with the broader community to address the issue.

"They are in our households, it is those you keep on sending to do things for us, the chores, that we don't want our own people to do. So, self-introspection, they are with us. How do we work with the churches? What do we do on a Sunday to say we have notice? At Kronlein Primary School, 17 children did not come to school, these are the names. We are asking the community to assist us to track down these kids. It is something that you have done to look for them."