MONOPOLIES
How opening schools to real competition can improve education
The investigation of Vodacom by the Competition Commission for alleged abuse of dominance raises an obvious question about the quality of education in SA: if a telecoms monopoly is bad for consumers and the economy, why is the government monopoly of education good for pupils and the economy, especially if its outcomes are poor? Unless you are a brainwashed optimist, there is no denying that primary education is substandard yet costly to the taxpayer. In 2016-17, SA spent 19.1% of its budget and 6.1% of GDP on education. Uganda spent 11.8% of its budget and 2.2% of GDP; Russia 11.9% and 4.2%; and Pakistan 11.3% and 2.5%, respectively. If more money translated into better outcomes, South Africans should be better educated than the people of these countries. Yet SA bumps along at the bottom. In the quality of overall education, SA ranks in the bottom six in the world, while in maths and science SA is second-last. Even with its economy spiralling down, Venezuela has better education out...
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