Simon Lee

South Africa has a long tradition of private education. Some of the first education institutions in the country were missionary schools. The growth of private schooling accelerated during the apartheid period and by 1990 there were about 500 private schools in South Africa. Unfortunately, perceptions of private schools have remained largely unchanged since 1990, while the sector itself has changed significantly in the past 15 years. This has led to several myths regarding private schools that need to be dispelled.