While doing relatively well compared with the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa still has a long way to go, especially in the area of education. The government-run education system fails 65% of its students who leave before earning a certificate. The private education sector, on the other hand, has seen tremendous growth, expanding by 76% in recent years.
Although private schools hold just 5% of the nations students, many charge as little as $777 per year, making it within reach for the country’s emerging middle class. Angie Motshekga, South Africa’s basic education minister, insists that the public education sector has “turned the corner, irreversibly so,” and will soon be making powerful gains.
Ann Bernstein from the Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) has less faith. “The public [state] schooling system is a huge management challenge. Why should we believe it can and will be fixed, and why should poor parents wait,” said Bernstein. She believes that the growth of private education ”is a positive phenomenon that has come out of failure.”
This struggle occurs in many nations with a sizable population that can afford private education.
Creative Commons Love: Zoriah on Flickr.com
About the Author
Comments