Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The many and varied links between student socioeconomic status and educational outcomes have
been well documented in the South African economics of education literature. The strong legacy of
apartheid and the consequent correlation between education and wealth have meant that, generally
speaking, poorer learners perform worse academically. The links between affluence and educational
quality in South Africa can partially explain this outcome since the poor receive a far inferior quality
of education when compared to their wealthier counterparts. This disadvantages them in the labourmarket
and entrenches their poverty. This thesis uses the recent Southern and Eastern African
Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ III) dataset for South Africa to
answer three important questions: (1) Is South African primary education efficient? (2) Is South
African primary education equitable? and (3) What are the main factors that have a significant
effect on student mathematics and reading performance in Grade 6. The thesis shows that a
high proportion of the country’s learners are functionally illiterate and functionally innumerate. The
research confirms previous findings that socio-economic status, and particularly school
socioeconomic status, is important when understanding student success or failure. Other factors
which significantly affect student performance are homework frequency, grade repetition, and
the availability of reading textbooks. In contrast, teacher-subject knowledge was found to have
only a modest impact on Grade 6 performance. Policy interventions associated with the findings are
also highlighted. The study concludes that South Africa is still a tale of two school sub-systems: one
which is wealthy, functional and able to educate students, while the other is poor, dysfunctional,
and unable to equip students with the necessary numeracy and literacy skills they should be
acquiring in primary school. Finally, the thesis suggests that there are some options available
to policy-makers which are expected to have a positive effect on learner performance. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die vele en diverse verbande tussen studente se sosio-ekonomiese status en onderwysuitkomste is
goed gedokumenteer in die Suid-Afrikaanse literatuur oor die ekonomie van onderwys. Die sterk
nalatenskap van apartheid en die gevolglike korrelasie tussen onderwys en rykdom beteken dat
armer leerlinge in die algemeen akademies swakker vaar. Die verband tussen welvaart en
onderwysgehalte in Suid-Afrika kan hierdie uitkoms gedeeltelik verklaar, omdat arm mense ʼn veel
swakker gehalte van onderwys ontvang as rykes. Dit plaas hulle in ʼn swakker posisie in die
arbeidsmark en bevestig daarmee hulle armoede. Die tesis gebruik die onlangse SACMEQ III datastel
vir Suid-Afrika (SACMEQ is die akroniem vir die Southern and Eastern African Consortium for
Monitoring Educational Quality) om drie belangrike vrae te beantwoord: (1) Is Suid-Afrikaanse
primêre skole doeltreffend? (2) Is Suid-Afrikaanse primêre onderwys regverdig verdeel? (3) Wat is
die belangrikste faktore wat studente se wiskunde en leesvermoë in Graad 6 beduidend beïnvloed?
Die tesis toon dat ʼn groot proporsie van die land se leerlinge funksioneel ongeletterd en ongesyferd
is. Die navorsing bevestig vorige bevindinge dat sosio-ekonomiese status, en veral die sosioekonomiese
status van die skoolgemeenskap, ʼn belangrike bepaler van studente se sukses is. Ander
faktore wat studente se prestasie beduidend beïnvloed is hoe gereeld hulle huiswerk doen, of hulle
die graad herhaal, en die beskikbaarheid van handboeke. In teenstelling daarmee is bevind dat
onderwysers se vakkennis net ʼn beskeie impak op Graad 6 prestasie het. Daar is ook klem op
beleidsingrypings wat uit die bevindinge spruit. Die studie kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat Suid-
Afrikaanse onderwys steeds die storie van twee sub-stelsels is: een wat ryk is, goed funksioneer en in
staat is om studente ʼn goeie opvoeding te bied, terwyl skole in die ander deel van die stelsel arm is,
wanfunksioneel, en die vermoë ontbreek om studente toe te rus met die syfer- en leesvaardighede
wat skole hulle behoort te bied. Ten slotte identifiseer die tesis opsies vir beleidmakers wat leerlinge
se prestasie sou kon verbeter.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/20184 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Spaull, Nicholas |
| Contributors | Van Der Berg, Servaas, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Economics. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 184 : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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