South Africa’s Department of Basic Education is more concerned about the proportion of pupils that pass to make school leavers and their parents happy.
They’re among the lowest-paid in the country but are working many hours unpaid to meet the demands of accreditation. With 73% wanting to leave the profession in the next three years, change is needed.
Research shows that grit is a strong predictor of reading achievement. This suggests that socio-emotional skills are important for student achievement, even in high-poverty contexts.
The recently released Gonski 2.0 report focuses on overhauling core aspects of curriculum and reporting, and proposes a move away from the industrial model of education towards individualisation.
It’s important to create spaces where the global South’s problems can be presented, debated and solutions developed - including some that can be applied in similar economies.
Claims made by politicians and the media about what does and does not improve education outcomes are repeated on a regular basis. But is there much truth in them?
NRF Accredited & Senior Researcher; Lead Coordinator of the South-South Educational Collaboration & Knowlede Interchange Initiative, Cape Peninsula University of Technology