Grade progression was poorly linked to actual ability and learning among black high-school pupils, research has found.
Economic Research Southern Africa (ERSA) said on Thursday that the findings were consistent with warnings from education experts that progress on enrolment and budget allocations had not translated into an equalised education system for all races.
A paper published under ERSA’s auspices titled Schooling as a lottery: Racial differences in school advancement in urban South Africa, found evidence of ”significant racial differences” in secondary school grade progression.
This was based on data collected from the Cape Town region which followed the progress of over 4 700 pupils between 2002 and 2005.
The findings show that baseline literacy and numeracy tests conducted at the beginning of the survey was a predictor of progress among coloured and white pupils from grades eight to 11.
”By contrast, African learners’ high-school progress up to Grade 11 bore notably less relation to their score on this initial test.
”However, when they write the nationally standardised and externally evaluated matric examination, their scores on the baseline test become a good predictor of the likelihood of passing the matric exam as they are for white and coloured learners,” said the study.
ERSA said the findings showed a ”serious weakness in the ability of black schools to evaluate student ability and learning adequately”.
It said that pupil’s movement from grade to grade varied by race.
”White students advanced by almost one grade per year; coloured students lagged behind whites and were about half a grade behind by the age of 14. Black learners started school later and advanced more slowly. At the age of 14 they were two grades behind white learners”.
The study found that girls advanced quicker than boys regardless of race.
It said part of the explanation for the racial difference was based on pupils’ home conditions, including differences in income between black and white households.
Parents of black pupils were also found to have around five-years’ less schooling compared to white parents.
It said that negative effects on learners as a result of weak management and teaching environments had received less education policy attention. – Sapa