Global Education Executives
SOUTH AFRICA
The southernmost country of Africa, the Republic of South Africa, boasts of one of the world’s richest natural landscapes, home to a diverse group of people and animals alike. Due to its beautiful scenery and recently booming economy, South Africa is a popular destination spot for tourists, especially in cities like Johannesburg and Cape Town. The republic itself, however, is a country riddled by a deep history of strife and separation, one that has affected the policies and the dispositions of the people today. Although apartheid laws have recently been undone, the effects of it are still seen in the disparities between its citizens. Undoubtedly, this has hindered South Africa’s journey towards quality education.
The government has not been completely abandoning a move towards improving South Africa’s education levels, especially in the wake of the new system; education receives the highest share of government spending within the country, and children ages 7 to 14 see a 98.8% percent enrollment rate. The government also passed an act in 2013 that would ensure basic conditions, such as electricity and latrines, to be met across all their schools.
However, the government has still not met its target goals, hindering the output of quality education. Despite being enrolled in school for their childhood, many students perform at extremely low levels in comparison to global standards, crippling their ability to enter the competitive job market with even basic competence. This is largely affected by two reasons: one, despite the government’s efforts, not every school even meets the basic needs to keep running, such as running water and electricity; two, the teachers in South Africa are severely undertrained, understaffed, and undereducated, sometimes with a crowded student:teacher ratio of 35:1. In more rural areas, accessibility becomes an issue as well; some students must walk up to an hour each way, making school arduous to get to.
Unfortunately, the country’s history of strife and discrimination, combined with a lack of educational advancement in current standards, perpetuates the crime and poverty that are still running rampant to this day, which in turn hinder country-wide access to quality and free education. Although global organizations, like USAID, have brought their programs into the country in order to improve the quality of education, South Africa must first solve the fundamental disparity problems and poverty amongst their people in order to bring further attention to the quality of their education.
References:
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Amnesty International (February 11, 2020). South Africa: Broken and unequal education perpetuating poverty and inequality. Amnesty.org. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/02/south-africa-broken-and-unequal-education-perpetuating-poverty-and-inequality/
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Nel, Andries and Colin J. Bundy (updated November 15, 2024). South Africa. Britannica.com https://www.britannica.com/place/South-Africa
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United States Agency for International Development (n.d.). South Africa: Education. USAID. https://www.usaid.gov/south-africa/education