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The State of Education in South Africa: Progress and Pressing Gaps

The State of Education in South Africa: Progress and Pressing Gaps

Ofodile Iloanya
June 09, 2025

Education continues to be a critical issue in South Africa’s journey toward equality and socio-economic development. The 2024 data from Stats SA paints a mixed picture—one of commendable progress in access and literacy, alongside persistent structural challenges.

Near-Universal School Participation—But Dropouts Remain a Concern

Captured in a metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia primary school, seated amongst his classmates, this photograph depicts a young African-American schoolboy who was in the process of drawing with a pencil on a piece of white paper. Note that the student was focused on a drawing book that referenced fantasy flying planes, while intent on creating his artwork, seemingly oblivious to all the classroom goings-on that surrounded him. It is important to know that objects, including pencils, crayons, paper, etc., are known as fomites, and can act as transmitters of illnesses.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

With approximately 15.6 million learners enrolled in school in 2024, participation rates are encouragingly high. By age 15, 96.2% of South African youth were in school, reflecting strong adherence to compulsory education policies. However, the transition into and completion of secondary school is far less consistent. Only 64.3% of learners remained in school at age 18, the typical age for Grade 12 completion.

A notable 16% of 20-year-olds were still attending school, signalling that many learners are taking longer to progress due to various setbacks. While this reflects resilience, it also underscores the delayed educational attainment faced by many students.

Why Learners Drop Out

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

The data reveals troubling reasons for school dropouts:

25.7% leave school due to poor academic performance
20.1% cite financial difficulties
5.6% exit due to family commitments, with 11% of females affected, compared to only 0.4% of males

These figures highlight the intersection of poverty, gender inequality, and academic support gaps, especially for young girls.

No-Fee Schools Expand Access

Captured in a metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia primary school, this photograph depicts a typical classroom scene, where an audience of school children were seated on the floor before a teacher at the front of the room, who was reading an illustrated storybook, during one of the scheduled classroom sessions. Assisting the instructor were two female students to her left, and a male student on her right, who was holding up the book, while the seated classmates were raising their hands to answer questions related to the story just read.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

A major success has been the rise of no-fee schools, now attended by 65.7% of learners, up from just 21.4% in 2007. These schools play a vital role in promoting educational equity, though provincial disparities remain stark:

89.8% of learners in Limpopo attend no-fee schools
In contrast, only 51.2% in the Western Cape benefit from such access

This suggests a need for more balanced funding and support across provinces to reduce inequalities in educational opportunity.

Post-School Education Remains Limited

This is the day we graduated, with lots of feeling and lots of tears. We came from different country, different provinces, and this might be the last time we will see each other. I am happy that I met you awesome people, and I hope everyone will continue the life journey with flying colors. Cheers.

Photo by Pang Yuhao on Unsplash

While the number of individuals attaining Grade 12 has increased to 52.1% (up from 30.5% in 2002), post-school participation among 19–22-year-olds remains low. This indicates a bottleneck between secondary education completion and access to higher education or vocational training.

Without expanded access to tertiary and technical education, youth unemployment and underemployment are likely to persist, particularly among those from disadvantaged communities.

Literacy Gains Across Generations

There has been a significant reduction in illiteracy and educational deprivation:

Adults aged 20+ with no education decreased from 11.4% in 2002 to 3.0% in 2024
Functional illiteracy (below Grade 7) among those aged 20–39 now stands at just 3.1%, compared to 33.1% among those over 60

These trends suggest that intergenerational progress is real and that literacy efforts are bearing fruit, especially among younger South Africans.

Future Agenda: Progress with Purpose

South Africa has made substantial strides in basic education access, no-fee school implementation, and youth literacy. However, key challenges remain, particularly in ensuring timely Grade 12 completion, enabling post-school transitions, and tackling dropout causes linked to poverty, gender roles, and academic barriers.

To unlock the full potential of the country’s youth, policies must now focus on quality, equity, and post-school opportunity, bridging the gap between classroom attendance and lifelong success.

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