While there exists legitimate insufficiencies in many areas of the education system of the United States, no fair camparison can be made between these conditions and those within the country of South Africa.

The legacy of Apartheid in South Africa constitutes many social and economic wounds still felt today. Although the education system of South Africa has experienced a few strides, there are still serious deficiencies in disadvantaged rural areas. In addition to poor structural surroundings, children in these areas are not learning to read, write or understand basic arithmetic. Results in literacy and numeracy have been described by the Department of Education (DoE) as a national disaster. There is an urgent need for quality in-service education and training (INSET) and classroom-based support for teachers or the right of children to a basic education will be compromised.

 

Currently, the backlogs from so many years of apartheid education are immense. Illiteracy rates are high at around 30% of adults over 15 years old (6-8 million adults are not functionally literate), teachers in township schools are poorly trained, and the matric pass (graduation) rate remains unacceptably low.

While 65% of whites over 20 years old and 40% of Indians have a high school or higher qualification, this figure is only 14% among blacks and 17% among the colored population. Source: SouthAfrica.info