How Many Schools Are In South Africa?

   
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How Many Schools Are In South Africa?

How Many Schools Are In South Africa?
How Many Schools Are In South Africa?

Education In South Africa

The Department of Basic Education (DBE), which is in charge of primary and secondary schools, and the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), which is in charge of university education and vocational training, are the two national departments that oversee education in South Africa. Both departments were represented in one Department of Education until 2009. South Africa has one of the highest literacy rates in sub-Saharan Africa. In South Africa, as of 2019, 95% of people aged 15 and over were literate, according to data from The World Factbook – Central Intelligence Agency.

The Various Departments Of The Education System

The DBE department oversees early childhood development (ECD) centers, special needs schools, private schools (also known as independent schools by the government), and public schools. Ordinary schools, which make up about 97% of the educational establishments in South Africa, are a combination of public and private schools. The DHET department oversees adult basic education and training (ABET) centers, higher education (HE) institutions, and further education and training (FET) colleges, which are currently known as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.

The Policies And Structures Of The School System

Hubert Mathanzima Mweli, the director-general, Angie Motshekga, the minister, and Reginah Mhaule, the deputy minister, make policy decisions for the Department of Basic Education. Blade Nzimande, the minister, and Buti Manamela, the deputy minister, make policies for higher education and training departments. The director-general is Gwebs Qonde.Taxes levied by the federal government fund both agencies. The Department of Basic Education contributes to teacher salaries in government schools, whereas independent institutions receive private funding. In some cases, parents’ contributions to public schools may be used to supplement their funding. Typically, school fundraising is the responsibility of the School Governing Body (SGB).

Reforms In Education In South Africa

South Africa’s education system has recently come under fire since primary and secondary schools failed to make progress and worsened the country’s high unemployment rate. Angie Motshekga, South Africa’s minister of education, stated at the beginning of 2016 that the country’s schools were in a crisis since, 11 years after enrolling in grade 1, less than half of kids passed the school-leaving exam. Private schools are not the primary source of the issue; instead, it is the state. The apartheid heritage is still present in the outdated state school system. Teachers in the area’s schools, in the words of Motshekga, “were not trained for the future.”

Compulsory Education In South Africa

Education is required from the age of seven (grade 1) through the age of fifteen (grade 9). From grade 0 (also known as reception) through grade 12, an educational system is in place. From grades 10 through 12, education is optional and is occasionally taught in specialized technical, community, or private colleges where students take the Matric, the school-leaving exam. Only half of the students received more than 50% on the Matric exam in 2015, with only 70.7% of pupils passing.

How Many Schools Are In South Africa?

There are over 30,000 schools in South Africa, 26,000 of which are publicly funded. The Western Cape and Gauteng are home to most of South Africa’s 1,600 private schools. Most South African parents are responsible for paying for their children’s education. The government does, however, cover many lower-income families’ costs.

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