M.Ed. (Educational Guidance) / This study forms part of a group project on school dropout which the Rand Afrikaans University and the Ben Gurion University in Israel have jointly undertaken. There is a widespread concern about the high dropout rate in schools all over the world including the Republic of South Africa. In view of the many challenges facing the country economically and politically South Africa needs its youth to be motivated, productive and self supportive.The Rand Afrikaans University and the Ben Gurion University have decided to pool their knowledge and experience in researching factors which contribute to pupils' leaving school too early. The project aims to identify the at-risk pupils and to research internal and external factors such as self concept, family relations and locus of control and their relation to dropout. This study will specifically focus on the way potential dropouts in black schools experience their self concept.