Education

­­Since 1994, education policy making in South Africa has focused on the transformation of education to improve access, quality, equity and redress for learners in line with Constitutional principles. The six key policy reform areas are the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and skills development, curriculum reform, educator education, school governance, improving the quality of education and education financing.

This document collection o­n education policy is being developed to provide information support to those working within the South African education policy community

Policy briefs

• High university drop-out rates: a threat to South Africa's future? 
  
  Reflects on implications of South Africa's low university graduation rate. Recommends steps to address income and racial disparities in higher education including a voucher system for lower-income students.
  Human Sciences Research Council, March 2008
• Issues in education policy series 
  
  A series of ­booklets on key issues in education and training policy in South Africa.
  Centre for Education Policy Development (CEPD), July 2010
• Nursing in a new era: policy brief 1 
  
  Examines the shifts in training and employment patterns between 1997 and 2007.
  Education, Science and Skills Development Programme, Human Sciences Research Council, November 2009
• Research findings to support effective educational policymaking: Evidence and action steps for state, district and local policymakers 
  
  Research findings and action steps drawn from policies and practices that have been critical to the success of educational reform­s in the US.
  Wallace Foundation, September 2009
• What is the impact of the Bolsa Família programme on education? 
  
  Considers whether the Bolsa Família programme increases school enrolment, reduces dropout rates and improves grades.
  International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth , March 2010

Research reports & papers

• An overview of research, policy and practice in teacher supply and demand, 1994–2008 
  
  Provides an overview and synthesis of the interventions, research and consequences of initiatives related to the demand for and supply of teachers since 1994.
  Human Sciences Research Council, 2009
• At arm’s length - the relationship between research & policy in arts & culture 
  
  Examines how the SA­ Department of Arts and Culture and some provinces have conceived of and used research in the formulation of arts and culture policy since 1994.
  Deacon, H., October 2009
• Do better schools lead to more growth?: Cognitive skills, economic outcomes, and causation 
  
  Investigates whether a causal interpretation of the association between cognitive skills and economic growth is appropriate, and whether cross-country evidence supports a case for the economic benefits of effective school policy.
  IZA, November 2009
• Education roadmap: Focus on schooling system 
  
  Proposals for a policy on schools­ from the Development Bank of Southern Africa.
  Development Bank of Southern Africa, November 2008
• Higher education in Africa: crises, reforms and transformation 
  
  Guidelines for policy formulation to reconceptualise higher education as a tool for social progress in Africa.
  CODESRIA, June 2006
• Links between poverty, matriculation and the child support grant: a review of the evidence 
  
  Reviews evidence on whether child support grants positively influence schooling outcomes.
  Centre for the Study of South African Social Policy, October 2008
• Mother or motherland: Can a government have an impact on educational attainment of the population?: Preliminary evidence from India 
  
  Examines the ­impacts of personal-household and state-level characteristics (including government policy) on the li­kelihood of transition from one educational level to the next.
  IZA, May 2010
• Nursing in a new era: The profession and education of nurses in South Africa 
  
  Considers the profile, image and status of nursing and the nature and role of nursing education.
  Human Sciences Research Council, 2009
• OECD innovation strategy: getting a head start on tomorrow 
  
  Offers a cross-government approach to ­sustainable growth and improved social welfare. Offers rigorous data and evidence-based analysis for updating policies across government.
  OECD, May 2010
• Opportunities and challenges for teacher education curriculum in South Africa 
  
  One in a series investigating the dynamics shaping the professional development of educators.
  Human Sciences Research Council, 2008
• Report of the task team for the review of the implementation of the National Curriculum Statement: Final report 
  
  Report of an expert panel which focused specifically on ­policy and guideline documents for the National Curriculum Statement.
  Department of Education, October 2009
• Responding to the educational needs of post-school youth 
  
  Outlines the scope and extent of the current post-school educational crisis, ­to explore possible solutions through collaboration in the higher education sector.
  Cloete, N., November 2009
• Reviews of national policies for education - South Africa 
  
  Reviews progress made in education legislation, policy development, curriculum reform and the implementation of new ways of delivering education.
  
  OECD, February 2009
• South African child gauge 2008/2009  
  
  Annual review of the status of South Africa’s children focusing on access to education.
  Children's Institute, University of Cape Town, June 2009
• The developmental state and educational advance in East Asia 
  
  Attempts to illustrate a link between educational development and the formation of developmental states in East Asia. Presents evidence that education systems contributed to nation-building.
  Abe, M., January 2006
• The effects of education and health on wages and productivity 
  
  A staff working paper using a human capital earnings function and data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey to estimate the effects of education and health status on wages.
  Productivity Commission, March 2010
• Towards a common future: Higher education in the SADC region: Research findings from four SARUA studies 
  Southern African Regional Universities Association, December 2008
• Trends 2010: A decade of change in European higher education 
  
  Analyses the implementation of the Bologna Process and its impact over a decade on higher education across 46 European countries and broader reform processes affecting European higher education.
  European University Association , March 2010
• We can't afford not to: Costing the provision of functional school libraries in South African public schools 
  
  Makes the case for a national policy on school libraries and costs a national roll-out ­to show how this could be paid for over 10 years.
  Equal Education, January 2010

Case studies

• Change and transformation in Ghana's publicly-funded universities: a study of experiences, lessons and opportunities 
  Partnership for Higher Education in Africa, 2007
• Gender in the making of the Nigerian university system 
  Partnership for Higher Education in Africa, 2007
• Opportunity NYC: a performance-based conditional cash transfer programme: a quantitative analysis 
  International Poverty Centre, Columbia University, November 2008
• Public & private universities in Kenya: new challenges, issues & achievements 
  Partnership for Higher Education in Africa, 2007
• Taking leadership, innovating change: Profiles in family, school, and community engagement 
  
  Gives twelve examples of leading innovations in family engagement as an integral and effective strategy in systemic education reform.
  Harvard Family Research Project, March 2010

Country studies

• Civil society and the governance of basic education: Mali country field study 
  
  Outlines challenges relating to a civil society role in nati­onal educational policymaking.
  Comparative and International Development Education Centre, October 2007
• Education exclusion and inclusion: policy and implementation in South Africa and India 
  
  Addresses the persistence of education exclusion in countries where there is an explicit commitment to inclusion. Focuses on the qualitative experiences of these excluded groups.
  Department for International Development, 2007

Toolkits & guidelines

• Econometric methods for causal evaluation of education policies and practices: A non-technical guide 
  
  Explains the main idea and intuition of leading empirical strategies devised to identify causal impacts and illustrates their use with real-world examples. ­
  IZA, January 2010
• Research as a tool for advocacy 
  
  A presentation outlining approaches to achieving research-based­ policies.
  Institute for Security Studies (ISS), 2010

Conference & seminar papers

• Does higher education produce the knowledge, skills, competencies and people needed for South Africa's development? 
  
  Captures the speakers’ inputs and discussions at an Isandla Institute development dialogue.
  Isandla Institute, June 2009
• Education and poverty reduction strategies: colloquium proceedings 
  
  Investigates links between education and poverty reduction, cross-sectoral co-ordination and policy coherence.
  Human Sciences Research Council, November 2008
• Gender equity in South African education 1994 - 2004: conference proceedings 
  
  Explores research and social action dimensions related to gender equity in education.
  Human Sciences Research Council, 2005
• Shareholder summit on higher education transformation 
  
  Read presentations and background documents from the Summit as well as various forums set up by CEPD­ to discuss related issues.
  Centre for Education Policy Development, April 2010
• South Africa: national report on the development of education 
  
  A paper from the 48th International Conference on Education, 25-28 November 2008, which reviews progress made in developing the South African education system since 1994.
  November 2008
• Stakeholder Summit on Higher Education Transformation 
  
  University World News(Africa edition) coverage of the Stakeholder Summit on Higher Education Transformation held from 22 to 23 April 2010.
  University World News (Africa Edition), April 2010

Reading lists

• Literature reviews on knowledge and policy 
  
  Extensive literature review on kno­wledge and policy in the health and education sectors.
  Know&Pol, June 2007

Advocacy initiatives

• Education rights: A guide for practitioners and activists 
  
  Presents ideas and methods­ to implement a human rights-based approach to education.
  ActionAid International, 2007
• Equal Education 
  
  ­A social movement working for quality and equality in South African education, through analysis and activism.
  2009
• Herana Gateway: Higher Education Research and Advocacy Network in Africa 
  
  This network is being developed to distribute research-based information to experts and decision-makers.
  2009
• Public Participation in Education Network 
  
  This campaign calls for greater public participation in education in South Africa.
  
  2008
• September National Imbizo 
  
  A new Facebook forum for a national citizens' dialogue, currently working against xenophobia and planning for ­a National Indaba in September 2010.
  July 2010