Thabiso Tema, POWER BREAKFAST host, speaks to Dr Nompumelelo Nyathi-Mohohlwane, lead researcher at the Department of Basic Education, about how the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has expressed significant concern over the high cost of grade repetition, which currently consumes roughly 8% of its budget. According to the DBE’s Funda Uphumelele report — a national survey of reading outcomes for Grades 1 through 4 — 15% of Grade 3 learners nationwide were unable to score a single point on reading assessments.