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The South African schooling system is characterised by high rates of grade repetition and low completion of the Further Education and Training (FET) phase, with completion rates for black youth at 40% compared to 72% for white youth. The author argues that poor education quality and ineffective feedback mechanisms in schools—where grade repetition does not necessarily correlate with academic progress—drive these inefficiencies. While financial constraints and teenage pregnancy are often cited as primary reasons for dropping out, the document suggests that a lack of academic progress and disengagement in the FET phase are deeper drivers. To address this, the author proposes a General Education Certificate at Grade 9 to provide a legitimate exit point and signal competency to employers, as the National Senior Certificate (NSC) currently acts as the only credible signal of quality in the labour market.