🎙️ Same conversation. New perspective: Why Teens Need More Freedom Than We Think Previously titled Adolescent Agency, this conversation with Prof Mark Tomlinson gets to something many of us don’t talk about enough: teens don’t just need rules and structure — they also need trust, autonomy and room to grow. And while we often focus on what’s broken, Prof Tomlinson reminds us that there are many good things happening in our education system too. 🎧 Catch the full conversation via the link in below. https://lnkd.in/dTFhWeDH #ZeroDropoutCampaign #DropInPodcast #TeenWellbeing
Zero Dropout Campaign
Non-profit Organizations
Cape Town, Western Cape 1,261 followers
A national campaign focused on halving the rate of school dropout in South Africa by 2030
About us
The Zero Dropout Campaign wants to change the perception that school dropout is a normal occurrence by demonstrating what it takes to help learners complete Grade 12. Despite South Africa’s large investment in basic education, around 40% of Grade 1 learners will exit the schooling system before finishing matric. Many will remain stuck in poverty and unemployment for life. As a knowledge hub, we’ve collaborated with a number of non-profit organisations (NPOs) to test models of intervention to prevent dropout.
- Website
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https://zerodropout.co.za
External link for Zero Dropout Campaign
- Industry
- Non-profit Organizations
- Company size
- 2-10 employees
- Headquarters
- Cape Town, Western Cape
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 2019
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
The DG Murray Trust, 1 Wodin Rd, Claremont
Cape Town, Western Cape, ZA
Employees at Zero Dropout Campaign
Updates
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Zero Dropout Campaign reposted this
No Child Should Carry the Weight of a Broken System Our current temporary exhibition, in collaboration with Zero Dropout, asks us to look beyond marks, reports, and classroom performance, and to see the child behind the statistic. In 1994, South Africa’s first democratic government inherited an education system deliberately shaped by racial inequality. Its effects did not disappear with democracy. They continue to be felt in homes, classrooms, and communities where poverty, hunger, trauma, and unequal access to support still shape a child’s ability to learn. Zero Dropout challenges the unfair burden of blame often placed on children and families when learners struggle academically. According to the organisation, too many children enter school already facing developmental delays linked to poverty and deprivation, and many never complete their twelve years of schooling. The question is not: Why did this child fall behind? The deeper question is: What systems failed to hold them? Through this collaboration, the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation invites visitors to engage with the urgent work of building an education system rooted in dignity, resilience, and care. Because no child should be left behind by circumstances they did not create. #ZeroDropout #EducationForAll #TutuLegacy #LearningFromLegacy #SouthAfrica
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Zero Dropout Campaign reposted this
📢 Opportunity: The Accelerated Learning Project will be hosting a Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) Bootcamp in Bloemfontein, Free State. 📍 Location: Bloemfontein, Free State 📅 Dates now confirmed: 29 June – 9 July 2026 📅 Apply by: 29 May 2026 The Accelerated Learning Project (ALP) is an initiative of DG Murray Trust working to close foundational learning gaps for learners who have fallen behind. Using evidence-based approaches such as TaRL, ALP supports learners, educators, and communities to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes and strengthen education systems across South Africa. This TaRL Bootcamp is designed as a Train-the-Trainer programme to build the capacity of organisations and programme teams interested in implementing the TaRL methodology. The 10-day in-person training will equip participants with practical tools and strategies to support learners in catching up on foundational literacy and numeracy skills. Important to note: 1. Participants are responsible for their own transport and accommodation costs 2. This is not a grant opportunity; organisations must be independently funded 3. ALP will provide training, conferencing, and learning resources for all participants 📌 Apply here: https://loom.ly/HrTMDjg
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Zero Dropout Campaign reposted this
A major legal challenge over liquor legislation in the Northern Cape is now heading to the Constitutional Court for a final decision. The Northern Cape High Court recently ruled that the provincial government failed in its duty to meaningfully consult the public before extending liquor trading hours for bars, taverns, clubs and liquor stores, making the law invalid. DGMT is now asking the Constitutional Court to confirm that ruling, while also seeking clarity on the broader constitutional implications of liquor laws on public health, safety, dignity and children’s rights. This case raises important questions about how liquor legislation is developed in communities already experiencing high levels of alcohol-related harm, including violence, road deaths and Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Read more about the Northern Cape case here: https://loom.ly/3ASxr_4
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Check out our exhibition at Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation for the month of May 👇 Come through, engage with the insights, and reflect on what it takes to keep young people in school. #ZeroDropoutCampaign #TutuLegacy
Every child carries potential. But potential cannot flourish where inequality, hunger, trauma, and exclusion shape the conditions of daily life. South Africa’s democratic transition inherited an education system deeply shaped by inequality, one that deliberately denied millions of children the opportunity to fully realise their potential. Decades later, many learners are still navigating the long shadow of that legacy. Zero Dropout challenges the harmful assumption that children are simply “failing” at school. Instead, it asks us to confront the deeper realities affecting educational outcomes: poverty, hunger, trauma, emotional distress, developmental inequality, and the absence of safe, supportive environments in which children can truly thrive. When nearly 40% of learners do not complete their schooling, the conversation cannot remain centred on blame. It must centre understanding, support, dignity, and systemic change. Through this important collaboration, the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation invites schools, educators, learners, and communities to engage with the Zero Dropout exhibition and reflect on the urgent questions shaping the future of education in South Africa. This is more than an exhibition. It is an invitation to think differently about what children need in order to flourish, and about the kind of society we are building together. Book your school visit with shanti@tutu.org.za and join the conversation toward a more inclusive, compassionate, and resilient future for every child. #ZeroDropout #EducationForAll #TutuLegacy #SouthAfricanEducation #LearningFromLegacy #SchoolVisits #EducationMatters
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Zero Dropout Campaign reposted this
Would you like to join our team? We have a vacancy for a Care Practitioner in the Durbanville/ Kraaifontein area. To qualify, you must be a Social Worker or Registered Counsellor. The successful applicant will spend time between a primary and high school, so applicants must have their own reliable transport. Applicants for this specific role must be fluent in English and Afrikaans - as those are the languages of instruction at the schools. Please complete the form https://lnkd.in/dAP6-DnR Short listed candidates will be contacted in the next two weeks.
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Zero Dropout Campaign reposted this
FREE TRAINING OPPORTUNITY - UPDATED LINK Community Keepers trains young adults in Mental Health First Aid. When a position in our team opens up, we refer to our database of trained individuals to recruit. The added bonus: equipping our communities with emotional literacy! If you are interested in attending training and being added to our database, please complete the following form: https://lnkd.in/dDMPAb_f For any enquiries please contact mhfatraining@communitykeepers.org.
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Zero Dropout Campaign reposted this
No Child Should Carry the Weight of a Broken System Our current temporary exhibition, in collaboration with Zero Dropout, asks us to look beyond marks, reports, and classroom performance, and to see the child behind the statistic. In 1994, South Africa’s first democratic government inherited an education system deliberately shaped by racial inequality. Its effects did not disappear with democracy. They continue to be felt in homes, classrooms, and communities where poverty, hunger, trauma, and unequal access to support still shape a child’s ability to learn. Zero Dropout challenges the unfair burden of blame often placed on children and families when learners struggle academically. According to the organisation, too many children enter school already facing developmental delays linked to poverty and deprivation, and many never complete their twelve years of schooling. The question is not: Why did this child fall behind? The deeper question is: What systems failed to hold them? Through this collaboration, the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation invites visitors to engage with the urgent work of building an education system rooted in dignity, resilience, and care. Because no child should be left behind by circumstances they did not create. #ZeroDropout #EducationForAll #TutuLegacy #LearningFromLegacy #SouthAfrica
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What does attachment theory really look like in real life? In this snippet of our latest podcast episode, Professor Mark Tomlinson shares what he observed while working with mothers and children in Khayelitsha—how early attachment shapes connection, behaviour, and development in ways we often overlook. 🎧 Listen to the full episode at the link below to hear more from the field and the insights that stayed with him. https://lnkd.in/dTFhWeDH #ZeroDropoutCampaign #DropInPodcast
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Zero Dropout Campaign reposted this
We're working with Solutions Insights Lab and the Youth Mental Wellbeing Co-Lab to explore the best ways to support young people's mental health. A new website,What's Working: Youth Mental Wellbeing, brings together actionable insights from organizations like ours for practitioners, funders, and policymakers committed to supporting young people. We're so excited to be a part of this. Check it out here: https://ow.ly/2VWk50YLyn2 #Youthmentalhealth #Whatsworking #Youthmentalwellbeing
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