Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says provinces were assessing the number of learners who had left school since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.
The minister said the verification of learner dropout rates was complicated as it was crucial to distinguish between learners who had dropped out and those who were absent for multiple reasons.
Motshekga said the department and districts were following up on learners who had been absent.
Professor Martin Gustafsson from Stellenbosch University, said so far this year, about 50% of schooling has been lost.