Differences in factors responsible for lateness at school by male and female learners in selected schools in Soshanguve Township, South Africa

Late coming is an endemic problem in South African schools and has become increasingly difficult to eradicate. It has been identified as a major factor affecting learner academic performance and pass rate within the broader South African school context. This study examined factors that influence the late coming of both male and female learners in selected schools in the Soshanguve Township with a view to assessing their impact on learner academic performance and emotional stability within the school environment. The study adopted an exploratory descriptive survey design, involving eighty purposively selected learners as participants. Quantitative data was collected through the administration of a survey questionnaire and result analysed using ANOVA and the paired sample t-test. The findings showed that factors such as mode of transportation to school, geographical location of school/homes, learner involvement in household chores, watching television at night, sleeping late and child care responsibilities are predominantly responsible for the late coming. The study further revealed that male learners were more often late for school as compared to female learners. Late coming of female learners hinged to a large degree on domestic factors while the late coming of male learners depended on attitude and peer pressure. The male learners were reluctant to change the habit as it was not perceived to be an emotional disturbance while female learners were amenable to habit change.