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Pursuing Equity Through Policy in the Schooling Sector 2007–2017

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South African Schooling: The Enigma of Inequality

Part of the book series: Policy Implications of Research in Education ((PIRE,volume 10))

Abstract

This chapter evaluates policies governing the schooling sector over 10 years against both official intentions, and the international consensus on optimal education policies as expressed by UNESCO. Poor results in international assessments helped shift South Africa’s policy emphasis, in around 2007, from equity of school resourcing to the equity of learning outcomes. Learning outcomes subsequently improved, and became less unequal, according to TIMSS and PIRLS. Three policy changes stand out as likely contributors to this trend: greater clarity in the curriculum documents; the beginnings of a national assessment system; and a greater availability of high-quality texts amongst students. South Africa’s experiences with national assessments are instructive. The absence of a statement of purpose resulted in misuse of the programme, and unnecessary conflicts with teacher unions. This made it easier for unions to halt the programme. Moving forward, South Africa will need to focus on re-instituting a national assessment programme, and on working towards a better policy framework governing teacher incentives. Better guidance to teachers on how to teach reading is also needed.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    This 90% can be broken down into 3% for historically Indian schools, 9% for historically ‘coloured’ schools and 78% for historically black African schools.

  2. 2.

    Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality.

  3. 3.

    The 16% of schools examine at least one of the following Matric subjects: Engineering graphics and design, Civil technology, Electrical technology, Mechanical technology. These four subjects often define which schools are considered ‘technical schools’. See National Senior Certificate Examinations data available through https://www.datafirst.uct.ac.za

  4. 4.

    Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study.

  5. 5.

    Note that TIMSS 2003 was in fact conducted in 2002 in South Africa, when both grades 8 and 9 were tested. In 2011, only Grade 9 was tested.

  6. 6.

    Progress in International Reading Literacy Study.

  7. 7.

    Note that the 2011 Grade 4 average national score appearing in the 2017 report is a rescaled average that is comparable to the earlier 2006 Grade 5 national average.

  8. 8.

    In 2009 the Department of Education was split into the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Higher Education and Training.

  9. 9.

    The programme also receives mention in (UNESCO 2014, p.285).

  10. 10.

    Government Notice 26 of 2008.

  11. 11.

    Education Labour Relations Council Resolution 1 of 2008.

  12. 12.

    Integrated Quality Management System.

  13. 13.

    Government Notice 25 of 2007.

  14. 14.

    Article titled SADTU is right: Annual National Assessments aren’t working at https://www.da.org.za/2014/10/sadtu-right-annual-national-assessments-arent-working (accessed January 2018).

  15. 15.

    Government Notice 323 of 2016.

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Acknowledgements

Work on this chapter is funded by the National Research Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Basic Education and ReSEP, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa

    Martin Gustafsson

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  1. Martin Gustafsson
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Correspondence to Martin Gustafsson .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa

    Nic Spaull

  2. Faculty of Education, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa

    Jonathan D. Jansen

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Gustafsson, M. (2019). Pursuing Equity Through Policy in the Schooling Sector 2007–2017. In: Spaull, N., Jansen, J. (eds) South African Schooling: The Enigma of Inequality. Policy Implications of Research in Education, vol 10. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18811-5_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18811-5_3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-18810-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-18811-5

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