EDITORIAL: Crucial for quality of education to be improved
Survey finds some improvement in access to textbooks and tangible inputs, but it does not measure quality of teaching and learning
The School Monitoring Survey for 2017-2018 published by the department of basic education last week demonstrates that the ANC government has made some progress in improving education. The survey is extensive and researchers visited 2,000 schools spread across the country measuring tangible inputs such as availability of learning materials, running water, libraries and classrooms. Since the last comparable survey in 2011 the most striking progress has been made in the provision of libraries or media centres with 62% of schools now with libraries as opposed to 45% five years ago. Access to textbooks, which has been a problem area for many years, was also impressive and was found to be consistently high. For example, 85% of Grade 12’s surveyed had the books they needed. The slowest progress made was in providing physical infrastructure. Only 59% of schools met required standards; 30% were without running water; and 20% without adequate sanitation. Sixty-seven percent of schools had a...
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