Guest: Merle Mansfield| Programme Director for DGMT’s Zero Dropout Campaign

Ahead of Youth Day tomorrow, we ponder on school dropout prevention strategies &
the impact it has on students. What comes to mind when you think about school
culture?
The reasons young people leave school are multi-layered and complex. They are often
a combination of individual, family, community and school-related factors that build up
over time.
Poverty, rampant drug and alcohol abuse, and violence in communities can
significantly impact a young person's chances of staying in and succeeding at school.
Communities have a role to play in building a sense of safety and stability for a
learners.
Merle Mansfield, Programme Director of the Zero Dropout Campaign joins me on the
line now for her thoughts on youth interventions
It's clear that you're advocating for learners to go back to school - you support efforts to
complete the curriculum?
As schools reopen, we need to be engaging the youth to improve school culture?
Interventions that help to make schools more learner-friendly and safe can have a
significant impact on keeping youth in school? Youth-led movements have
demonstrated the capacity of young people to agitate for change and make a
difference in their communities