The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) has launched an Education Charter to give South Africans the opportunity to endorse greater parental involvement in schools, as a first step to rescuing the education system from the grave crisis it is in.
The Charter is addressed to politicians who are directly involved in managing the country’s schooling system; the Minister of Basic Education, the nine provincial education MECs and the Official Opposition’s Shadow Minister of Basic Education.
“It will urge them all to heed growing public anxiety about the state of education in South Africa, and to implement policies that give parents the greater control and influence over schools which, universally, have led to better results in the classroom. The research shows how desperately South Africa needs this approach.”
“A measure of our schooling crisis is that, in the absence of a dramatic change in policy, a grade one learner starting school this year will have only a 50% chance of making it to Grade 12, a less than even chance of finishing matric, and even lower chance of passing well enough to go to university,” said the Institution.
The consequence of all this is that most South African children are finding themselves unprepared either for university or for the world of work.
High drop-out rates at university and high unemployment rates reflect this.
A minority of students manage to pass their degrees within three years and more than half of people aged between 15 and 24 are unemployed.
This is an untenable situation which will have dire consequences for South Africa’s future.
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According to the research, the root of this crisis lies in our schools.
“South African schools are undermined by hostile unions whose actions suggest they are more interested in protecting under-performing teachers than in educating children, as well as by poor administration, and policy that is often driven by ideology rather than the practical demands of delivering effective education.Giving parents and communities control of schools will go some way to addressing our education crisis,” states the report.
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