An Evaluation of the Factors that Promote Learner Absenteeism in Primary Schools in the Limpopo Province

The aim of this paper was to evaluate factors that contribute to learner absenteeism in primary schools. This paper is underpinned by a critical discourse analysis (CDA) in which the researcher expressed his comments or judgements based on written or spoken communications. The researcher applied a qualitative research approach in order to evaluate the fundamental factors that contribute to learner absenteeism. School-based factors were identified and were found to contribute to learner absenteeism, namely, truancy, late-coming, learner drop-out, bullying, overcrowding in classes, poor school facilities and corporal punishment. There is a close link between the above mentioned factors and learner absenteeism in the primary schools that participated in this research. Schools should introduce the system of merits and demerits for learners who attend regularly and those who absent themselves respectively. Interventions such as good communication, code of conduct for learners should be introduced in order to reduce learner absenteeism.