Education and development in the South African context

Abstract

In line with international experience it is now widely accepted in South Africa that education has an important role to play in development, particularly of socio-economically disadvantaged communities, although there is less certainty now than in the sixties as to what that role is. It cannot be governed solely by the manpower needs of the economy: men and women have their own equally important needs. Nor can this role be effective as long as education is equated with formal schooling, particularly where the schooling of the majority in society has been neglected over a long period. While the formal education system is undergoing reform and regeneration, and attention is being given to the critical issues of equality of opportunity and the legitimacy of the system, it is imperative that high priority should be given to non-formal adult education. In all fields of education there is a need to give greater thought to issues of relevance and quality, rather than to seek salvation in "more of the same".

Social Justice Leadership Capabilities for Pre-Service Teachers in Contemporary Times: An Education Policy Perspective

“…Education policy can be considered as an action by the government, through legislation, that the implementation of any policy should hold benefits for a country and its citizens (Hartshorne, 1999). Considering the aforementioned view, indications such as "action" and "hold benefits" (Hartshorne, 1999) call for the implementation of possible policy options.…”

“…Education policy can be considered as an action by the government, through legislation, that the implementation of any policy should hold benefits for a country and its citizens (Hartshorne, 1999). Considering the aforementioned view, indications such as "action" and "hold benefits" (Hartshorne, 1999) call for the implementation of possible policy options. In the case of this paper, possible policy options regarding innovative capabilities were identified that can be applied by HEIs to equip pre-service teachers with capabilities to enact SJL.…”

The Myth and Reality of Government Expenditure on Primary Health Care in Nigeria: Way Forward to Inclusive Growth

“…The economic growth model used in this research is based, with little alteration, on the neoclassical Solow production function. According to Romer's definition, economic growth is a function of capital accumulation, an extension of labour-power and an "exogenous" factor, technological advancement which makes physical capital and labor more productive (Mankiw, Romer and Weil, 1992), Hartshorne (1985) as quoted in Saad and KalaKech (2009), Romer (1996) as quoted in Novignon et al (2012), andOdusola (2002). …………………………………….. 2The linearized equation for the above will appear as:…”

Transformation to an Equitable Socioeconomic Dispensation

“…Some 20 years after the end of apartheid, and despite the government’s progressive rhetoric, the promise of empowerment and emancipation has not materialized for the majority of South Africans, who continue to bear the burden of poor education. A number of reasons have been suggested for this failure in education delivery, including high student–teacher ratios, poorly trained teachers, gaps between policy and practice, a lack of resources needed to implement the necessary changes, government bureaucracy underplaying or overlooking the realities on the ground in South African schools, and a bias toward political symbolism (Hartshorne, 1999; Jansen, 2002; Kahn, 1996; Kallaway, 2002; Manganyi, 2001; Maodzwa-Taruvinga & Cross, 2012). But it is paradoxical that a country with the wealthiest economy on the continent has a schooling system that is among the poorest performing systems in the world, ranking 140th out of 144 countries (Patel, 2012).…”