Education in South Africa

Basic Education in South Africa takes place in primary and secondary level from Grade 1 (6–7-year-olds) to Grade 12 (18–21-year-olds). Students who succeed in Grade 12 graduate with a matriculation certificate, which enables them to transition to tertiary level education. The DBE officially groups grades into two "bands" called General Education and Training (GET), which includes Grade R (South Africa's equivalent of Kindergarten) plus Grades 1 to 9, and Further Education and Training (FET), which includes Grades 10 to 12 as well as non-higher education vocational training facilities. The GET band is subdivided further into "phases" called the Foundation Phase (Grades R to 3), the Intermediate Phase (Grades 4 to 6), and the Senior Phase (Grades 7 to 9). On an international level, the Foundation and Intermediate phases correspond to elementary education, while the Senior Phase corresponds to lower secondary education. The DBE's Foundation Phase includes a pre-school grade known as grade R, for "reception". Grade R is compulsory, but not all primary schools offer grade R. Grade R may also be attended at pre-school facilities. Other grades that can be completed at a pre-school centre include grade 00 and grade 000 (although the 000 and 00 designations are not universally applied). Grade R is sometimes called Grade 0 (pronounced "grade nought"), particularly in previously white schools, where the usage was once common. Learner ratios According to the DBE's 2010 statistics report (published in 2012), there are, on average, 30 learners per teacher, 480 learners per school, and 16 teachers per school. The ratio of learners per teacher is roughly the same in all provinces, but the ratio of learners per school varies by province. For example, in Gauteng, there are 800 learners per school and 28 teachers per school, whereas in the Eastern Cape, there are 350 learners per school and 12 teachers per school. Updated 2013 statistics (published in 2015) are available. School income and expenses Schools in South Africa receive a grant from government for their operational costs, such as maintaining the grounds, administrative costs, salaries, books and educational materials, and extramural activities. Most schools supplement the government grant with other streams of income, such as school fees paid by parents, fundraising events, and receiving donations. Generally, higher school fees prevent poorer children from attending affluent schools. There is no limit to the amount of the fees that a school may set. Parents may apply to the school for full or partial reduction of school fees. Many affluent schools provide financial assistance to a small number of learners (for example, if the parents are alumni), but it is not a legal requirement. Sample school fees Schools are not required to publish their school fees publicly, and many schools are secretive about it, but here are some examples of school fees in non-private schools in South Africa: • The Settler's High, Bellville: R15200 per child per year • Monument Park High, Kraaifontein: R9000 per child per year • Middelburg hoërskool, Middelburg: R25000 per child per year Poverty and school fees Schools may not refuse admission to children who live in the immediate vicinity of the school. Schools may not refuse entry to children or refuse to hand over report cards even if their parents neglect to pay the school fees, but schools are permitted to sue parents for nonpayment of school fees. Since 1996, children whose parents are very poor are legally exempt from some or all school fees. Since 1998, the formula is as follows. If the combined annual income of the parents is less than ten times the annual school fee, the child is legally exempt. If the income is more than ten times the school fee but less than thirty times the school fee, the child is legally entitled to a specific reduction in school fees. In practice, those regulations help only very poor families, not working-class and middle-income families. Orphans and children of parents who receive poverty-linked social grants are also exempt from paying school fees. Online schools Online schooling in South Africa existed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily as an option for learners seeking flexible education or for home-educated students. These schools typically deliver curricula through digital platforms, allowing students to study remotely while remaining within the national education framework. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased the demand for online schooling, as temporary school closures and remote learning measures prompted many families to adopt online education. This growth highlighted the role of digital platforms in maintaining curriculum continuity and providing flexible learning options during disruptions to in-person education. While online schools operate within existing legislation for independent or home education, the expansion of online learning has also prompted discussions about quality assurance, access to technology, and equitable opportunities for all learners. While online schooling and homeschooling are sometimes used interchangeably, they differ in structure and delivery. Homeschooling typically places primary responsibility for instruction and learning oversight with parents or guardians, who may select curricula or use umbrella providers. Online schools, by contrast, generally offer structured digital platforms with pre-designed curricula, scheduled instruction, and varying levels of teacher involvement, allowing learners to study remotely without direct day-to-day parental instruction. Some platforms, such as CambriLearn or Connections Academy, operate internationally and illustrate how online schooling can function as a distinct model alongside traditional homeschooling within the broader landscape of alternative education. Considerations specific to online schooling include accreditation, curriculum alignment, and regulatory oversight. In South Africa, online schools offering national qualifications are generally required to align with the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) and to be registered with provincial education departments, while assessment and certification fall under the oversight of quality assurance bodies such as Umalusi for school-level qualifications. Online schools offering international curricula may instead seek accreditation from foreign examination boards or international accrediting agencies, which can affect the recognition of qualifications within South Africa. Additional considerations include access to reliable internet connectivity, the availability of digital devices, and the capacity of families to support learners in a home-based environment. Policy discussions have also addressed the need for consistent standards, learner support mechanisms, and equitable access as online schooling continues to expand alongside traditional and home-based education models. == Higher education and training system ==

For university entrance, a "Matriculation Endorsement" is required, although some universities do set their own additional academic requirements. South Africa has a vibrant higher sector, with more than a million students enrolled in the country's universities, colleges and universities of technology. All the universities are autonomous, reporting to their own councils rather than government. The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) system of administering higher education broadly in the country is run by the South African Qualifications Authority. Graduate unemployment and underemployment are continuing problems, since most students continue to enroll for the humanities, arts, and social sciences. Too few students are choosing to study high-demand subjects such as education, health care, business, STEM subjects, and the skilled trades. The Extension of Universities Act of 1959 made provision for separate universities for separate races. In addition, the independent homelands were given universities of their own. After the re-incorporation of the independent homelands, there were 36 universities and technikons in South Africa, often in close proximity and offering the same courses. In 1994, the government embarked on a restructure of the universities and technikons by a series of mergers and incorporations. This was completed by January 2005. It created 22 new institutions from the previous 36. Ten of the universities got new names. == History ==

1652 to 1900 The earliest European schools in South Africa were established in the Dutch Cape Colony in the late seventeenth century by Dutch Reformed Church elders committed to biblical instruction, which was necessary for church confirmation. In rural areas, itinerant teachers (meesters) taught basic literacy and math skills. British mission schools proliferated after 1799, when the first members of the London Missionary Society arrived in the Cape Colony. Language soon became a sensitive issue in education. At least two dozen English-language schools operated in rural areas of the British Cape Colony by 1827, but their presence rankled among some members of the Dutch-speaking community, who considered the English language and curriculum irrelevant to rural life and their values. Throughout the nineteenth century, Dutch farmers resisted government policies aimed at the spread of the English language and British values, and many educated their children at home or in the churches. Following the Bantu Education Act (No. 47) of 1953 the government tightened its control over religious high schools by eliminating almost all financial aid, forcing many churches to sell their schools to the government or close them entirely. The South African government implemented an education system called Christian National Education (CNE). The basis of this system is that a person's social responsibilities and political opportunities are defined by that person's ethnic identity. Although CNE advanced principles of racial inferiority, it promoted teaching of cultural diversity and enforced mother-tongue instruction in the first years of primary school. The government gave strong management control to the school boards, who were elected by the parents in each district. In this decree, physical science and practical subjects would be taught in English, mathematics and social science subjects would be taught in Afrikaans, and music and cultural subjects would be taught in the learner's native language. The Minister said that the reason for this decree was to ensure that black people can communicate effectively with English and Afrikaans speaking white people. This decree was unpopular with learners and teachers alike, particularly in towns like the Johannesburg township of Soweto, where practically no one spoke Afrikaans. Tensions over language in education erupted into violence on 16 June 1976, when students took to the streets in Soweto and eventually in other towns and cities in the country. This is known as the Soweto Uprising, when students and those able to take a stand demanded to be taught in their mother tongue. Many were killed and injured that day due to police intervention. They are remembered as martyrs. Schools were vandalized and teachers left unable to teach and students were unable to come to school. 1984 to 1990 The National Policy for General Affairs Act (No. 76) of 1984 provided some improvements in black education but maintained the overall separation called for by the Bantu education system. The Department of Education and Training was responsible for black education outside the bantustans. Each of the three houses of the Tricameral Parliament—for whites, coloureds, and Indians—had an education department for one racial group. Each of the ten homelands had its own education department. In addition, several other government departments managed specific aspects of education. Although the form of "Model C" was abolished by the post-apartheid government, the term is still commonly used to describe former whites-only government schools, as of 2013. 1994 to 2022 Under Apartheid South Africa, there were eight education departments that followed different curricula and offered different standards of learning quality. This included nationwide departments for coloured people, for Indians and for black people, a department for independent schools, and provincial departments for white people in each of the former four provinces. Some of the Bantustans that were incorporated back into South Africa in 1994 also had their own education departments. In terms of the Interim Constitution, the Mandela government restructured these departments as well as tertiary education departments, splitting responsibilities between nine newly formed provincial education departments and a single national education department. It also set about reforming the educational system by first removing all racially offensive and outdated content and then introducing continuous assessment into schools. The South African Schools Act, 1996 was promulgated to "provide for a uniform system for the organisation, governance and funding of schools". 1997 to 2005 In 1997, the government launched its new education system called Curriculum 2005, which would be based on "outcomes based education" (OBE). By 2006 it was clear that OBE as a social experiment had failed, and it was quietly shelved. In 2005, The concept of Outcomes Based Education (OBE), Curriculum identifies the new national curriculum framework introduced in grade 1 in 1998 and progressively is being included to subsequent grades of the basic education. Outcome Based Education regards learning in South Africa as an interactive process between educators and learners, with the learner at the centre and the educator serving as a facilitator. 2006 until now South Africa has 12 official languages, and the first year of schooling is provided in all these home languages. Before 2009, schools serving non-English speakers had to teach English as a subject only from grade 3 and all subjects were taught in English from grade 4 (except in Afrikaans language schools). Since 2009, all schools teach English as a subject from grade 1 and all subjects are taught in English from grade 4. Afrikaans language schools are an exception, in that all subjects (other than other languages) are taught in Afrikaans. In December 2019 the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court of South Africa ruled against the ban of children without birth certificates from receiving basic education in South Africa. The court ruled that "It is an important socioeconomic right directed, among other things, at promoting and developing a child's personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to his or her fullest potential" and that "Basic education also provides a foundation for a child's lifetime learning and work opportunities." == Educational Technology Use ==

Information and communication technology (ICT) use in South African education prior to COVID ICTs can be defined as a shorthand for the computers, software, networks, satellite links, and related systems that allow people to access, analyze, create, exchange, and use data, information, and knowledge in ways that were almost imaginable. As with many countries throughout the world, South Africa has worked to include information and communication technology (ICT) within the education system. However, since South Africa is a developing nation, barriers to educational technology adoption and implementation exist, including lack of resources such as tablets and computers, lack of internet infrastructure, and a large gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots" when it comes to access to personal devices which can be used for education. This section will examine ICT use in South Africa prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. History of ICT use in South African Education The early years of ICT adoption occurred from 1996 to 2000. During this time, some South African higher education institutions began using computers and many institutions built computer labs. At this time, computers were used mainly by staff, but some institutions also implemented computer-based education or computer-aided instruction for learners as well. This type of learning reflected behavioral philosophy and focused on drilling and practicing. Within the schools, additional barriers existed to ICT usage. One such barrier was a lack of teachers who were competent and comfortable with ICTs. South Africa Connect and other Governmental Initiatives In developing countries, ICTs are proposed as tools to assist in reducing the digital divide, especially in education where they can, among other things, provide access to secondary learning materials with hard-copy textbooks still being the recommended primary sources. On March 26, 2020, South Africa opted for lockdown requiring schools to move to distance learning. The challenge of offering traditional face-to-face teaching-learning sessions to fully online or digital sessions shifted the former teacher-driven process into the hands of learner-parent and technology processes. Mhlanga and Moloi recommend fiscal expansion of funding for online education. There is also a need to equip teachers and students with ICT skills for maximum benefit of digital education and move forward in South Africa's educational goals. As discussed, ICT usage in South African education has slowly developed from computer use for basic functions like word processing to mobile technology and app usage by students and into web conferencing and massive distance learning prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Though barriers exist, including lack of internet infrastructure, lack of resources, and inequity in access, ICT likely will continue to be embraced in South African education. == Performance ==

An independent study by Stellenbosch University researchers found that undue union influence and "critical educational factors", including weak institutional functionality, uneducated teachers and insufficient learning time, were responsible for poor academic performance in South Africa. Due to poor academic performance, teen pregnancy and crime the country has a high dropout rate. In 2020 seven Limpopo schools (down from 9 the previous year, and among 18 nationwide) obtained a 0% pass rate in the National Senior Certificate exams. The locally dismal performance was ascribed to uncommitted teachers, proximity of schools to taverns, inactive governing bodies and the apartheid legacy. School curricula and structuring of exams has been criticized as following an antiquated paradigm which does not cater to the requirements of innovation or the 4IR economy, while not addressing real-life problems like finding a job, thinking critically or conducting original research. ==Violence==

The South African Human Rights Commission has found that 40% of children interviewed said they had been the victims of crime at school. More than a fifth of sexual assaults on South African children were found to have taken place in schools. Gang fighting in schools, whereby dangerous weapons which include guns, are used, has also become common in recent years, specifically in Cape Town, Western Cape. The Education Department and the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention initiated a program named Hlayiseka, the purpose of which is to curb the epidemic of school violence in South African schools. ==See also==