The number of pupils enrolled at the 25 867 ordinary public and independent schools (excluding special needs pupils and post-matric pupils) was 12 214 845 on the tenth day of school in 2009. Only 3% of the pupils were in independent schools, with 97% in public schools. The pupil-to-teacher ratios were higher in public schools at 31-to-1 than in independent schools at 16-to-1. The proportion of no-fee schools was 57% in 2008, while the proportion of pupils in no-fee schools was 45%.

The reality is that a successful public school system is not just about the number of pupils and teachers, but also about access to basic facilities and amenities.

Some 1 000 of the 24 829 (4%) ordinary public schools had no toilet facilities in 2006 The proportion of schools with no toilet facilities was highest in the Eastern Cape at 10%, followed by the Free State at 5%.

Almost half of the country’s public schools relied on pit latrines at 46%. The proportion was highest in Limpopo at 72%, followed by the Eastern Cape at 56%. The lowest was 1% in the Western Cape.

 Some 32% of schools in the country were using municipal flush toilets. The province with the lowest proportion of schools using municipal flush toilets was Limpopo at 8%, followed by the Eastern Cape at 17%. The highest proportion in all the provinces was in the Western Cape, where 94% used municipal flush toilets.

Some 10% of South African ordinary public schools had no water supply. The proportion was highest in the Eastern Cape at 20%, followed by the Free State at 15%. In Gauteng and the Western Cape, all schools had a water supply.

A further 11% of schools had an unreliable water supply. The proportion of schools with an unreliable water supply was highest in KwaZulu-Natal at 20%, followed by Limpopo at 17%. The lowest proportion was 1% in the Western Cape.

Most schools used either a borehole or were served by a municipal or yard connection. Some 37% of schools in the country depended on boreholes. The highest proportion of schools which depended on boreholes among the provinces was 45% for the Eastern Cape, followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 44%. The lowest was 12% in the Western Cape.

Almost 38% of schools were served by a municipal or yard connection. The highest proportion was 72% for Gauteng, followed by the Western Cape at 60%. The lowest was 18% for Limpopo.

Only 78% of schools had access to electricity in South Africa. The province with the highest proportion of schools with electricity was the Western Cape at almost 100%, followed by Gauteng at 99%. The lowest was 60% for the Eastern Cape.

Only 23% of public schools had laboratories and this partly explains the shortfall in the number of pupils passing science in matric and the shortage of engineers and scientists in the country. The proportion of schools with laboratories was highest in Gauteng at 76%, followed by the Western Cape at 60%. The lowest was 10% for the Eastern Cape.

The proportion of public schools with computer facilities was 23%. The highest proportion of schools with computer facilities was 76% for Gauteng, followed by the Western Cape at 60%. The lowest proportion was 10% for the Eastern Cape.

Only 21% of public schools in the country had library facilities. The highest proportion of schools with library facilities was 59% for Gauteng, followed by the Western Cape at 53%. The lowest was 10% in the Eastern Cape.

The effects of the lack of facilities and services at schools are evident in the matric results. The 2008 matric pass rate for the country was 63%. In order to pass matric, a pupil need only obtain 40% in three subjects, one of which must be the home language, and 30% in three other subjects. A diploma pass requires that a pupil obtain 30% in the language of instruction of the higher education institution and 40% for three subjects. A bachelor pass requires that a pupil obtain 30% in the language of instruction of the higher education institution and 50% in four subjects. The disparities across the provinces are as follows:

The 2009 School Realities Report, from which some of the above data was taken, was released in September 2009. The other information was taken from the National Education Infrastructure Management System (NEIMS), which was released in 2008.

This information, as well as other data relating to education, demographics, business and employment, health and welfare, living conditions and communications, crime and security, and politics, is available in the 2008/09 South Africa Survey which will be released later this month and posted to all participants in the eight municipalities covered by the Municipal Outreach Project.

-Nthamaga Kgafela