Springer South African Schooling: The Enigma of Inequality: A Study of the Present Situation and Future Possibilities: 10 (Policy Implications of Research in Education, 10)

This volume brings together many of South Africa’s leading scholars of education and covers the full range of South African schooling: from financing and policy reform to in-depth discussions of literacy, numeracy, teacher development and curriculum change. The book moves beyond a historical analysis and provides an inside view of the questions South African scholars are now grappling with: Are there different and preferential equilibria we have not yet thought of or explored, and if so what are they? In practical terms, how does one get to a more equitable distribution of teachers, resources and learning outcomes? While decidedly local, these questions resonate throughout the developing world.South Africa today is the most unequal country in the world. The richest 10% of South Africans lay claim to 65% of national income and 90% of national wealth. This is the largest 90-10 gap in the world, and one that is reflected in the schooling system. Two decades after apartheid it is still the case that the life chances of most South African children are determined not by their ability or the result of hard-work and determination, but instead by the colour of their skin, the province of their birth, and the wealth of their parents. Looking back on almost three decades of democracy in South Africa, it is this stubbornness of inequality and its patterns of persistence that demands explanation, justification and analysis. "This is a landmark book on basic education in South Africa, an essential volume for those interested in learning outcomes and their inequality in South Africa. The various chapters present conceptually and empirically sophisticated analyses of learning outcomes across divisions of race, class, and place. The book brings together the wealth of decades of research output from top quality researchers to explore what has improved, what has not, and why."   Prof Lant Pritchett, Harvard University   “There is much wisdom in this collection from many of the best education analysts in South Africa. No surprise that they conclude that without a large and sustained expansion in well-trained teachers, early childhood education, and adequate school resources, South Africa will continue to sacrifice its people’s future to maintaining the privileges of the few.” Prof Martin Carnoy, Stanford University "Altogether, one can derive from this very valuable volume, if not an exact blueprint for the future, then certainly at least a crucial and evidence-based itinerary for the next few steps.” Dr Luis Crouch, RTI Review “If you require an update on the conditions of equity and access in contemporary South African schools, then this volume is a must-read. Jansen and colleagues have pulled together a multidisciplinary team of top-notch researchers and scholars to not only educate us about about complex economic, educational and social problems but also to enlighten us about some directions to effective practices and solutions.” (Prof Prudence Carter, University of California, Berkeley) “The South African education system plays a central role in reproducing our extreme inequality and yet it will have to become a cornerstone of any set of policies designed to break these persistent processes. This is a cruel and paralysing counterposition. The editors and the scholars of the chapters in this book have done us all an immense service in confronting the prevailing realities in each part of the education system, distilling what needs to be changed and proposing how to do so.” (Prof Murray Leibbrandt, University of Cape Town, South Africa) “Spaull and Jansen ought to be commended for putting together an invaluable contribution to our understanding of complex education reforms in post-apartheid South Africa. Not only does the volume point out the educational challenges, it also provides provocative ideas for potential amelioration of these education inequities in this young democracy.” (Bekisizwe S. Nd