The South Africa Schools Act (SASA) 84 of 1996, Chapter 2, section 3 makes provision for compulsory attendance for learners. Section 3 (1) mandates that “every parent must cause every learner (of school going age) for whom he/she is responsible to attend school from the first day until the last day of school year in which such a learner reaches the age of 15 years or ninth grade, whichever occurs first”. Thus the department has a constitutional mandate of ensuring that everyone’s right to basic education is responded to as enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.
