EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA

Since 1994, after the introduction of compulsory education in South Africa, the number of children attending school has risen sharply.  However, structural problems in the education system have resulted in many poorly prepared high school graduates and high numbers of dropouts in the final grades.
In December, the South Africa government hailed the 70 percent pass rate for percent high school final exams, as a major achievement.  It has risen every year since 2008 when 62.5 percent of students passed.
These statistics, although reflecting an improvement in South Africa’s basic education system, mask some major shortcomings that concern many education specialists here.