Education in South Africa
Education in South Africa is governed by two national departments, namely the Department of Basic Education, which is responsible for primary and secondary schools, and the Department of Higher Education and Training, which is responsible for tertiary education and vocational training. Prior to 2009, both departments were represented in a single Department of Education.
In 2025, the South African literacy rate was 95%, and the second-highest on the African continent.
The DBE department deals with public schools, private schools, early childhood development centres, and special needs schools. The public schools and private schools are collectively known as ordinary schools, which are roughly 97% of schools in South Africa. Unlike in most countries, many public schools charge tuition. No-fee schools were introduced on a limited basis in 2007.
The DHET department deals with further education and training colleges now known as Technical and Vocational Education and Training colleges, adult basic education and training centres, and higher education institutions.
The nine provinces of South Africa also have their own education departments that are responsible for implementing the policies of the national department and dealing with local issues.
In 2010, the basic education system comprised 12,644,208 learners, 30,586 schools, and 439,394 teachers. In 2009, the higher education and training system comprised 837,779 students in HE institutions, 420,475 students in state-controlled FET institutions and 297,900 in state-controlled ABET centres.
In 2013, the South African government spent 21% of the national budget on education. Some 10% of the education budget is for higher education.
The Human Rights Measurement Initiative finds that South Africa is fulfilling only 57.1% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to education based on the country's level of income. HRMI breaks down the right to education by looking at the rights to both primary education and secondary education. While taking into consideration South Africa's income level, the nation is achieving 70.8% of what should be possible based on its resources for primary education and 80.9% for secondary education, but 19.6% in general for education quality.
Structure and policies
The Department of Basic Education is headed by the director-general, Hubert Mathanzima Mweli, and its policy is made by the minister Siviwe Gwarube and the deputy minister Reginah Mhaule. The department of Higher Education and Training is headed by the director-general, Gwebs Qonde, and its policy is made by the minister Nobuhle Nkabane and the deputy minister Buti Manamela.Both departments are funded from central government taxes. The department of Basic Education pays a portion of teachers' salaries in government schools, but independent schools are funded privately. Government schools may, under certain circumstances, supplement their funds through parent contributions.
Normally the School Governing Body is responsible for fundraising in schools. The School Governing Body in primary schools consists of parents, teachers and the support staff. In high school, it consists of parents, teachers, support staff and learners.
The Department of Basic Education Acts:
- South African Schools Act of 1996 facilitate access to education, promotes quality and democratic governance in the schooling system, and ensures that all learners have access to quality education without discrimination.
- National Education Policy Act of 1996 inscribes law into policies, legislative and monitoring responsibilities of the Minister of Basic Education, including the formal relationship between national and provincial authorities.
- Employment of Educators Act of 1998 regulates the professional, moral, and ethical responsibilities of educators and competency requirements for teachers.
Basic education system (primary and secondary schools)
The DBE officially groups grades into two "bands" called General Education and Training, which includes Grade R plus Grades 1 to 9, and Further Education and Training, which includes Grades 10 to 12 as well as non-higher education vocational training facilities.
The GET band is subdivided further into "phases" called the Foundation Phase, the Intermediate Phase, and the Senior Phase. On an international level, the Foundation and Intermediate phases correspond to elementary education, while the Senior Phase corresponds to lower secondary education.
The administrative structure of most ordinary schools in South Africa do not reflect the division of bands and phases, however. For historical reasons, most schools are either "primary" schools or "secondary" schools, also known as high schools.
Optional grades
Some home schools and private schools offer the option to complete an additional year after grade 12, sometimes known as "post-matric". ,it forms part of non-South African curriculums that are sometimes followed by private schools in South Africa.The DBE's Foundation Phase includes a pre-school grade known as grade R, for "reception". Grade R is compulsory, but not all primary schools offer grade R. Grade R may also be attended at pre-school facilities. Other grades that can be completed at a pre-school centre include grade 00 and grade 000. Grade R is sometimes called Grade 0, particularly in previously white schools, where the usage was once common.
Learner ratios
According to the DBE's 2010 statistics report, there are, on average, 30 learners per teacher, 480 learners per school, and 16 teachers per school. The ratio of learners per teacher is roughly the same in all provinces, but the ratio of learners per school varies by province. For example, in Gauteng, there are 800 learners per school and 28 teachers per school, whereas in the Eastern Cape, there are 350 learners per school and 12 teachers per school.Updated 2013 statistics are available.
School income and expenses
Schools in South Africa receive a grant from government for their operational costs, such as maintaining the grounds, administrative costs, salaries, books and educational materials, and extramural activities. Most schools supplement the government grant with other streams of income, such as school fees paid by parents, fundraising events, and receiving donations.Generally, higher school fees prevent poorer children from attending affluent schools. There is no limit to the amount of the fees that a school may set. Parents may apply to the school for full or partial reduction of school fees. Many affluent schools provide financial assistance to a small number of learners, but it is not a legal requirement.
Children at are usually required to purchase and wear school uniforms although it is often possible to buy them second-hand. Most schools offer extramural activities such as a variety of sports and cultural activities, which require money to maintain. Many schools maintain their own sports fields as well.
The size of the grant paid by government is determined largely by the poverty level of the neighbourhood in which the school is situated, as well as unemployment rate and the general education rate of the population in that neighbourhood. Consequently, schools in more affluent areas must raise more money from other sources to maintain the same standard of education, but schools from affluent areas often have so much additional income that their standard of education is much higher than that of less affluent schools anyway.
The size of the government grant per child depends on the "quintille" of the school. In 2009, schools in quintille 1 and quintille 2 received R807 and R740 per child per year, respectively, and as schools in quintille 4 and quintile 5 received R404 and R134 per child per year. Schools in quintile 1-3 may apply for classification as a "No Fee" school; 5% of all schools are quintille 5 schools, and 15% of all schools are quintille 4 schools.
Sample school fees
Schools are not required to publish their school fees publicly, and many schools are secretive about it, but here are some examples of school fees in non-private schools in South Africa:- The Settler's High, Bellville: R15200 per child per year
- Monument Park High, Kraaifontein: R9000 per child per year
- Middelburg hoërskool, Middelburg: R25000 per child per year
Poverty and school fees
Since 1996, children whose parents are very poor are legally exempt from some or all school fees. Since 1998, the formula is as follows. If the combined annual income of the parents is less than ten times the annual school fee, the child is legally exempt. If the income is more than ten times the school fee but less than thirty times the school fee, the child is legally entitled to a specific reduction in school fees. In practice, those regulations help only very poor families, not working-class and middle-income families.
Orphans and children of parents who receive poverty-linked social grants are also exempt from paying school fees.
Since 2006, the Education Department offers the following incentive to the poorest 40% of schools. If the school charges no school fees, the education department increases the grant to make up for the lack of income from school fees. It was originally planned to increase this incentive to the poorest 60% of schools by 2009. The incentive applies only to children in the GED band, and children who wish to complete grade 10-12 must still pay the full fee.
In 2008, some 5 million learners in 14,264 schools benefited from the No Fee school program, and most of them were in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo Provinces. Not all schools that qualify for the incentive make use of it.