Education in South Africa

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  

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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  

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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 

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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 

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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  

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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.