Ambushed by History: Education, wellbeing and security in the South African school system Dr. Joanne Hardman Educational Psychology School of Education University of Cape Town E-mail: joanne.hardman@uct.ac.za http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/educate/staff/jhardman.php
Post-apartheid South Africa: inequality and education
South Africa: colonial and apartheid legacy Structural poverty and massive inequalities in assets, capital, skills. Vast disparities in education system Low education closely correlated with poverty, race and particular spatial contexts. Trans-generational: low levels of parental education predict low levels of children’s education. Working class (Black) kids more likely to be low paid or unemployed, “Inequality (is) thus being reproduced over time” (Seekings & Nattrass, 2006:265)
Education, inequality and labour markets
Unemployed less formal education than employed Employment (1995-2003): 64% of tertiary graduates; 35% of matriculants (completed secondary schooling), 14% secondary school dropouts (Bhorat, 2004: 951) Education (by developing country standards) comparatively well resourced, yet educational outcomes remain stubbornly low due to teacher, systemic, management weaknesses. Failure of new ‘progressive’ curriculum. Hence additional material resources will not necessarily raise educational achievement - bigger budgets do NOT equal better education (Neves, 2009). Complex responses needed.
Inequality in South Africa Altbeker, 2008
Learning to write in the sand at a farm school, no stationary for each child.
Inequality and violence: threats to well-being
Greater level of inequality in a society, greater potential gains from crime vs. rewards from legitimate economic activity. BUT majority of violent crime is poor on poor crime, due to unequal access to policing resources. Human Rights Commission: 40% of school children were assaulted (fists, sharp instruments, firearms), or were victims of rape. Violence is both peer on peer, student on teacher and teacher on student. Bhorat (2008) finds a single incidence of crime in a school has a significant impact on matric pass rates.
School in a rural district. Computers as teaching/learning tools have been shown to have ambivalent impact on pass rates but influential in building self-esteem (Hardman, 2008).
UNQUEAL EDUCATION AND ATTAINMENT: TIMSS TEST SCORES SA
PROVINCE
MATH SCORE
SCIENCE SCORE
INTERNATIONAL AVERAGE
467
474
WESTERN CAPE
389
386
NORTHERN CAPE
333
334
GAUTENG
304
309
FREE STATE
265
245
NATIONAL AVERAGE
264
244
MPUMALANGA
261
239
NORTH WEST PROVINCE
251
231
KSWAZULU NATAL
246
227
EASTERN CAPE
223
190
LIMPOPO
217
191
Education and labour demands in an unequal society
On their own, improved educational outcomes may not improve social mobility. Educational attainment (specifically by poor Africans), is poorly correlated with labour market outcomes. This is not wholly explained by the poor quality of education (also social networks etc) Low labour demand in capital intensive economy: the supply of labour outstrips demand, and would continue to even if workseekers were more educated. Hence in South Africa education is therefore necessary but insufficient condition to alleviate chronic poverty (Neves, 2009)
So what can we do? First step: understand what influences matric pass rates. Bhorat, 2008 OLS
 Median
[1]
[3]
Pupil- Teacher ratio
-0.002
0.005
Independent
3.011*
1.826
Lowest grade
-0.264*
-0.284*
Non-std. classroom:learner ratio
-89.044*
-134.539*
Specialist classroom:learner ratio
-14.393
-22.578*
Platoon School
-1.442
-2.768
Used for ABET
-0.728
-0.582
Principal’s Office
-0.837
-0.596
Accom. For Staff
3.462*
2.347*
Tuckshop
0.840
0.843
Boards per classroom
-0.075
-0.079
Seats per learner
0.346
-0.050
Desks per learner
1.455*
1.094
Overhead p.l
8.747
3.714
124.346
223.967
Dependent Variable: Matric Pass Rate
Photocopier p.l
Production Function Results (1) contd. OLS
 Median
[1]
[3]
Library
2.634*
2.330*
Computer for teaching
10.392*
11.173*
Computer for admin
6.680*
7.199*
Phone
3.028*
3.889*
Water Indoors
-0.016
-0.328
Electricity
2.591*
3.619*
Sports facilities
2.477*
3.429*
Crime Incident
-2.663*
-2.492*
Col./Indian School
13.039*
16.208*
White School
26.904*
29.159*
New School
1.908*
3.258*
Dependent Variable: Matric Pass Rate
Production Function Results (1) contd. OLS
 Median
[1]
[3]
Rural
1.162
1.611
Household Size
0.134
0.137
Children per hh.
-1.067*
-0.603
Adult mean yrs of schooling
0.813*
0.726*
Poverty Index
-0.182
-0.800
Sample Size
5014
5014
Pseudo R2
0.440
0.301
Dependent Variable: Matric Pass Rate
Key results about well being Bhorat, 2008
Student-teacher ratio insignificant in accounting for pass rate at matric level. Material infrastructure such as classroom resources insignificant impact on pass rates at matric BUT some specific variables like non-standard classrooms and staff accommodation significant. Conflict / incidents of crime significant. Household Variables: Rural/Urban Location & Asset Poverty insignificant Years of schooling of adults in community significant.
Closing thoughts
Education in context: high inequality, structural poverty, exclusionary capital intensive economy Education linked to labour market dynamics; poor education excludes many. In addition demand side problem in SA labour market: insufficient jobs even if there were skilled workers. Serious problems in SA schools: high levels of violence and low level of pass rates; high levels of insecurity in relation to well being, food security and future job prospects.