Dropout or stop out at the University of the Western Cape?

Abstract

This chapter considers the issue of dropout and stop out in relation to South African higher education in general and then focuses on the case of UWC. The chapter begins with background to the DoE's concern with the issue of dropout before considering the findings of the Pathways Study at UWC. Where relevant, the findings are compared with those for SU, a historically advantaged white institution which is located in the Western Cape. This comparison underscores the finding that financial reasons are a major cause of student dropout and need to be taken more seriously, at least in the case of South Africa. The research also challenges Tinto's integration model of dropout and argues that we need to consider the issue in relation to multiple social, political and economic contextual factors that affect but also go beyond the individual.