Only three in 10 public schools have a library‚ and only four out of 10 have a computer facility.
Despite government’s stated efforts to improve skills in maths and science‚ as well as to improve physical health of scholars‚ the situation on the ground shows only 18.3% of schools have a science laboratory‚ while 57.8% have sports facilities.
“Most schools are not well resourced and certainly do not adequately cater for children learning in an increasingly high-tech‚ high-skilled economy‚” the South African Institute of Race Relations says in a research report.
Compounding the challenges in the school system are high dropout numbers‚ repetition rates‚ and teacher shortages.
The dropout rate is particularly serious‚ with only half of children enrolled in grade 1 making it to grade 12.
Of those who make it to grade 12‚ only a third will pass well enough to get admission to study for a bachelor’s degree at university.
There were vacancies for 34‚705 teachers at the end of 2015. “Worryingly‚ only 7‚641 teaching graduates were appointed in 2014‚” the IRR said.
Overall pupil-to-teacher ratios have‚ however‚ improved from 33 to 1 in 2000 to 31 to 1 in 2015. The Free State has the best pupil to teacher ratio (29 to 1) of any province.
Numeracy rate test scores show that‚ at grade 9‚ just 11% of children are numerate to the required standard.
Matric results show strong racial anomalies: 67.4% of African children passed matric in 2015 compared to 98.8% of white children. “These differences can be ascribed to the poor quality of teaching and poor facilities in mainly African schools‚” the IRR states.
A further look into into matric results reveals deeper anomalies. Assessing English‚ mathematics and physical science results by race group‚ it found that almost 85% of white children who sat for maths passed with a grade of 40% and above in 2015 as opposed to just 26% of African children.
“It is this inequality that still bedevils workplace transformation and empowerment across the economy. Yet not enough policy attention is focused on this fact.”
Trends in mathematics and physical science results going back to 2008 makes for
“alarming reading”: The number of children passing mathematics with grades of 70% and above fell from 25‚027 to just 17‚452.
This is a drop of 30% since 2008‚ the IRR notes.
“It is simply not correct‚ as various officials insist‚ that South Africa’s public schooling has turned any corners. In a key area like mathematics‚ the trend shows worsening performance.”
While schools on the whole perform poorly‚ there have been strides in higher education with notable successes in transformation‚ enrolment‚ and output.
Enrolment in higher education has increased by 289% since 1985. This was possible‚ despite the weak school system‚ because higher education caters for a fraction of the population‚ the IRR says.
“Progress relates mainly to a small elite of well-schooled African matriculants joining good white matriculants at university‚” the report states. “Policy efforts must therefore focus on expanding that pool.”
The bad news is that few students complete the degrees they have enrolled for at higher education institutions.
The highest number of students who achieved undergraduate degrees is at Vaal University of Technology with 43%‚ using 2013 data.
Amongst other tertiary institutions this rate drops to 19% at University of Fort Hare‚ 23% at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University‚ 27% at the Tshwane University of Technology‚ 21% at University of Cape Town‚ 17% at University of the Free State and 22% at the University of Johannesburg.
The IRR concludes: “Schools in South Africa are in dire need of fundamental policy reforms in order to improve the quality of learning.
“Failures in schools are the single biggest reason for continued poverty and inequality trends in South Africa.
“Without improvements in the school system‚ it will not be possible to provide universities with the feedstock they require to deliver the skills the economy requires to maintain growth rates of 5% to 6% of GDP. Nor will South Africa record much future advancement of the middle classes or any real racial transformation in the private sector.”
Schools letting South Africa down‚ hampering improvements to living standards
Despite government’s stated efforts to improve skills in maths and science‚ as well as to improve physical health of scholars‚ the situation on the ground shows only 18.3% of schools have a science laboratory‚ while 57.8% have sports facilities.
“Most schools are not well resourced and certainly do not adequately cater for children learning in an increasingly high-tech‚ high-skilled economy‚” the South African Institute of Race Relations says in a research report.
Compounding the challenges in the school system are high dropout numbers‚ repetition rates‚ and teacher shortages.
The dropout rate is particularly serious‚ with only half of children enrolled in grade 1 making it to grade 12.
Of those who make it to grade 12‚ only a third will pass well enough to get admission to study for a bachelor’s degree at university.
There were vacancies for 34‚705 teachers at the end of 2015. “Worryingly‚ only 7‚641 teaching graduates were appointed in 2014‚” the IRR said.
Overall pupil-to-teacher ratios have‚ however‚ improved from 33 to 1 in 2000 to 31 to 1 in 2015. The Free State has the best pupil to teacher ratio (29 to 1) of any province.
Numeracy rate test scores show that‚ at grade 9‚ just 11% of children are numerate to the required standard.
Matric results show strong racial anomalies: 67.4% of African children passed matric in 2015 compared to 98.8% of white children. “These differences can be ascribed to the poor quality of teaching and poor facilities in mainly African schools‚” the IRR states.
A further look into into matric results reveals deeper anomalies. Assessing English‚ mathematics and physical science results by race group‚ it found that almost 85% of white children who sat for maths passed with a grade of 40% and above in 2015 as opposed to just 26% of African children.
“It is this inequality that still bedevils workplace transformation and empowerment across the economy. Yet not enough policy attention is focused on this fact.”
Trends in mathematics and physical science results going back to 2008 makes for
“alarming reading”: The number of children passing mathematics with grades of 70% and above fell from 25‚027 to just 17‚452.
This is a drop of 30% since 2008‚ the IRR notes.
“It is simply not correct‚ as various officials insist‚ that South Africa’s public schooling has turned any corners. In a key area like mathematics‚ the trend shows worsening performance.”
While schools on the whole perform poorly‚ there have been strides in higher education with notable successes in transformation‚ enrolment‚ and output.
Enrolment in higher education has increased by 289% since 1985. This was possible‚ despite the weak school system‚ because higher education caters for a fraction of the population‚ the IRR says.
“Progress relates mainly to a small elite of well-schooled African matriculants joining good white matriculants at university‚” the report states. “Policy efforts must therefore focus on expanding that pool.”
The bad news is that few students complete the degrees they have enrolled for at higher education institutions.
The highest number of students who achieved undergraduate degrees is at Vaal University of Technology with 43%‚ using 2013 data.
Amongst other tertiary institutions this rate drops to 19% at University of Fort Hare‚ 23% at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University‚ 27% at the Tshwane University of Technology‚ 21% at University of Cape Town‚ 17% at University of the Free State and 22% at the University of Johannesburg.
The IRR concludes: “Schools in South Africa are in dire need of fundamental policy reforms in order to improve the quality of learning.
“Failures in schools are the single biggest reason for continued poverty and inequality trends in South Africa.
“Without improvements in the school system‚ it will not be possible to provide universities with the feedstock they require to deliver the skills the economy requires to maintain growth rates of 5% to 6% of GDP. Nor will South Africa record much future advancement of the middle classes or any real racial transformation in the private sector.”
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