‘Reduce dropout rates’: Student’s plan for reducing Drakenstein problems

On Friday, when community members and councillors addressed President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Presidential Imbizo, a young voice from Drakenstein cut through the crowd.

Emma Laubscher, junior speaker of the Drakenstein town council, sent out a passionate plea on behalf of the youth in the community.

Drakenstein dropout rates

She stood firm alongside fellow student Thando Mdeni, as they represented the youth of Drakenstein at this high-profile gathering.

Laubscher began her address by acknowledging her own privileges and confessing that she has been “very sheltered”, and have not experienced a lot of hardship in her life.

“I’ve been very lucky. But then I joined the town council and realised there are so many children who are not as fortunate as I am,” she added.

Education to solve Drakenstein issues

Laubscher said her “dome of protection was broken”, and she has since done a lot of research, realising that 40% of children who start school won’t finish matric.

She passionately argued that a solution to most problems burdening the Cape Winelands communities lies in ensuring kids stay in school.

She said: “I believe most of the problems we are complaining about here today could be alleviated if we just stop the dropout rate from increasing, as the trend has shown after Covid”.

‘Fix education department’

Laubscher cited issues such as the lack of transport, inability to afford school fees, or the need to work have kept many students from attending school.

“But please, I just ask that if you’re lying in bed tonight, or in your next meeting, just look at the possible solutions to the current problems the Education Department is facing,” she asked Ramaphosa.

The Drakenstein Junior Town Council is attending to #PresidentialImbizoWC and using it as a learning experience says Junior Speaker Emma Laubscher pic.twitter.com/ysbt6r1teU

— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) May 19, 2023

She said the opportunity to address the president at such an event was an honour, as both Laubscher and Mdeni were invited by the speaker of the Drakenstein municipality.

Presidential Imbizo in WC

President Cyril Ramaphosa met with community organisations and businesses during the Presidential Imbizo at Dal Josafat Athletics Stadium on Friday.

The event is part of the District Development Model (DDM) Presidential Imbizo series, aiming to provide Ramaphosa with a firsthand understanding the hardships faced by South Africans.

READ: Presidential Imbizo: ‘The R350, Mr President, it is not enough’