ERIC Number: EJ952776
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0305-7925
EISSN: N/A
Exploring Equity and Quality Education in South Africa Using Multilevel Models
Frempong, George; Reddy, Vijay; Kanjee, Anil
Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, v41 n6 p819-835 2011
Educational reform in South Africa envisions schooling where all students, irrespective of their background characteristics, have the opportunity to succeed. To achieve this vision, the South African education system needs to function in such a way that students' success does not depend on their backgrounds; that is, if school processes and policies in South Africa were inclusive and supportive of the learning of all students then we would expect high-quality schools to compensate for socio-economic disadvantage such that the achievement gap associated with the socio-economic status (SES) would be minimised. The main objective of this paper is to explore the relationship between school quality and socio-economic disadvantage. Our analysis, employing multilevel statistical models, indicates that: (1) schools do make a difference over and above the socio-economic backgrounds of learners they enrol; (2) learners are most successful in schools where they and their parents are actively engaged in the learning processes; (3) schools with these characteristics tend to compensate for learners' socioeconomic disadvantage; (4) learners from disadvantaged backgrounds are less successful in schools; and (5) the impact of SES on learners' achievement levels is particularly prominent in high-achieving schools. These findings call for the need to rethink the current schooling processes and policies to include structures that allow schools to provide opportunities to engage learners and their parents in the schooling processes with the objective of compensating for learners' socio-economic disadvantage. We argue that this objective can be achieved through a capability framework where inclusion, democratic participation and child centredness serve as the major principles of the provision of quality education for all. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)
Descriptors: Achievement Gap, Socioeconomic Status, Disadvantaged, Academic Achievement, Educational Quality, Educational Change, Learning Processes, Equal Education, Foreign Countries, Statistical Analysis, Parent Participation
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: South Africa
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A