The specific aim of this research study was to identify, explore, describe and interpret the factors related to school refusal of black adolescents. An overview of literature was used to arrive at a broader appreciation of issues pertaining to school refusal phenomenon and also to black adolescents. Ten subjects participated in this study. Data were gathered qualitatively using ethnographic interviews. The following factors were found to be contributory to the problem of school refusal: School refusers who stay with grandparents instead of staying with biological parents; fear of something specific at school; lack of insight into the refusal problem; lover plays a role in refusal behaviour; protective parents; poor social relationships; fathers that play a marginal role in the family; parents' worldview; emotional problems and weak or no attempts to stop behaviour. The emphasis was on the understanding of the refusal phenomenon rather than on cause and effect. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

Truancy is one of the problems that exist in schools and affect learners' performance. The aim of the current study was to determine how truancy manifests and also to explore the life world of truants in secondary schools. From the literature review, the two types of truancy, namely blanket truancy and post-registration truancy were described. Various programmes and approaches used in truancy intervention were explored. An empirical investigation was undertaken with a sample of 758 Grade 10 learners from three secondary schools. The results indicated that significantly more males than females engaged in truancy. There is also a significant dependency between learning problems and truancy. The results of the study were analysed and recommendations for intervention and for further study were made. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Guidance and Counseling)

The specific aim of this research study was to identify, explore, describe and interpret the factors related to school refusal of black adolescents. An overview of literature was used to arrive at a broader appreciation of issues pertaining to school refusal phenomenon and also to black adolescents. Ten subjects participated in this study. Data were gathered qualitatively using ethnographic interviews. The following factors were found to be contributory to the problem of school refusal: School refusers who stay with grandparents instead of staying with biological parents; fear of something specific at school; lack of insight into the refusal problem; lover plays a role in refusal behaviour; protective parents; poor social relationships; fathers that play a marginal role in the family; parents' worldview; emotional problems and weak or no attempts to stop behaviour. The emphasis was on the understanding of the refusal phenomenon rather than on cause and effect. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

The main purpose of this study was to determine the management of the phenomenon of learners’ partial absenteeism and late coming at four public secondary schools of the Tshwane West (D15), in the light of the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) Circular 13 of 2002. Respondents targeted for data collection were members of the School Management Teams (SMTs) of the four public secondary schools (n35). To address the initial propositions of this study, a qualitative case study research design and its techniques for data collection and analysis were used. The emergent findings indicated that: absenteeism during school hours (partial absenteeism) and late coming, which also applies to educators, are rife across the four participating public schools. SMT members’ limited knowledge of school management in general, and the GDE’s Circular 13 in particular, were found to be the main barrier to the effective management of partial absenteeism and late coming. Additional contributory factors were learner’s attitude and conduct and poor school infrastructure. Recommendations to help address the problem under inestigation are also made. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Educational Management and Leadership)