Education and Schools in South Africa
Expats will find that like many institutions in the nation, schools in South Africa are generally one thing for the rich and another for the poor.
The South African education system is made up of three different types of schools: independent or private; public or government; and Model C, or quasi-government schools. Private education is much more expensive than public education – up to 10 times the cost – but offers exceptionally high standards of education. These schools are attended mostly by children from middle and higher income families.
Model C schools are government schools that are administered and largely funded by the parent and alumni body. Some of the country’s best schools also fall into this category, and fees are somewhere between private and government rates.
With the exception of those expats living in the high-income areas of the nation’s largest cities and surrounds, most foreigners will want to seek private education for their children. The public school system has acquired somewhat of a tarnished reputation, and has even been accused of ‘failing its youth’.
This sector is entirely dependent on the government for funding and supplies. Each province is responsible for making sure their schools are equipped and have enough money to run properly and pay salaries for teachers. As a result, standards and facilities can vary immensely, depending on the efficiency and the overall wealth of the province.
Overall though, with a serious lack of financing and monitoring from the government, kids are getting the raw end of the deal with low standards of education, a lack of qualified teachers and in some cases, an outright absence of equipment in classrooms. Due to these shortcomings, parents that can afford it, and even those who can’t, prefer to send their children to private schools in South Africa.
That said, in the bigger cities, such as Pretoria and Cape Town, the standard of education in a public school is generally better, and in some cases may meet expat requirements.
Public schools are based on geographic catchment areas, and as a basic rule, the wealthier the area the better the school in that area. It follows that families living in higher income suburbs will not always require a private school for their children.
The best government schools are those that are administered and funded by the parents. These so-called Model C schools can offer exceptional facilities and a very high standard of tuition. Examples include Rondebosch Boys or SACS in Cape Town, or King Edward’s School in Johannesburg.
On the other side of the spectrum, expats will find that they are quite spoilt for choice in choosing a private school for their child, depending on their location and what kind of education they are looking for.
Private schools in South Africa have an excellent reputation and offer internationally recognised exams, so children coming from these schools have an excellent acceptance rate for further education, worldwide. This criterion makes private schooling the number one choice for expat families coming to South Africa.
All private schools have a religious foundation, and daily attendance at chapel, shul, or mosque is expected. A core component of the educational ethos is to provide pupils with a spiritual foundation to complement their academic and physical accomplishments.
South Africa offers British based education in well-established private sector schooling; and The American International School, as well as European educators, have bases in all the big cities.
Similar to the private school system in other countries, it is assumed these institutions boast better infrastructure, state-of-the-art facilities and a larger selection of extra-curricular activities. Most private schools also claim the smaller class sizes, around 15 children with one teacher and one assistant, which parents prefer for their children.
In private schools, kids are able to take part in a number of after school programs; such as piano lessons, art, dancing and even golf. However, these must be paid for separately from school fees.
On the left-field of the private schools are the alternative and arts schools, such as Waldorf and Montessori. Increasingly popular with expat parents with younger children, these schools can be found in all major cities and are comparatively easier to gain acceptance to.
â–ºClick here for a full directory of private schools in South Africa
While the exact fee structure varies for each school, it is useful to provide a general guide to manage budgetary expectations:
Home schooling is an increasingly popular option for expat parents wanting to educate their children in South Africa, In order to home school your child you must apply to the head of the relevant provincial Department of Education and register your child for home schooling. The lessons you offer your child must fall within the scope of the basic compulsory phases of education as defined by the Department and records of your child’s coursework must be maintained.
There seems to be a large amount of angst, among expats, over the safety aspects of South Africa, especially in schools.
It’s important to note that everywhere in the world students and teachers have documented incidents of violence and intolerance, and South Africa is no exception. Unfortunately there are suburbs in the nation that have a bad rap for drugs and gangs, and within these suburbs there are public schools. The safety of the children in these areas is a priority, and schools are taking the relevant steps to ensure that the children and staff are secure.
That said, it is highly unlikely that expats would ever come across these suburbs, and in general, South African schools are considered safe.
Once a parent has decided on a school, there are certain requirements that need to be met in order to register the child at the school.
A parent will need to provide the child’s birth certificate and up-to-date immunisation card, and in some cases, there may be registration fees involved, depending on the school.
Once the school has confirmed acceptance in writing, the parent will need to take that confirmation to a local home affairs office, to apply for a study permit. Some expats may even want to hire an immigration practitioner to assist with this process.
For final registration at the school, the parent will need to produce the child’s passport and the valid study permit; without a valid study permit, the child may be turned away.
The South African education system is made up of three different types of schools: independent or private; public or government; and Model C, or quasi-government schools. Private education is much more expensive than public education – up to 10 times the cost – but offers exceptionally high standards of education. These schools are attended mostly by children from middle and higher income families.
Model C schools are government schools that are administered and largely funded by the parent and alumni body. Some of the country’s best schools also fall into this category, and fees are somewhere between private and government rates.
- The South African school year is divided up into four terms; with a three week break in winter usually around June/July; a longer six week break in summer over December and Christmas; a short 10 day break in April at Easter; and another ten day break in September.
- While there is no official language of instruction in South Africa, the most highly reputed schools teach in English; international schools teach in the language associated with their respective nations.
- All school pupils in South Africa are obliged to wear uniforms, typically khaki for boys or demure plaids for girls.
Public schools in South Africa
With the exception of those expats living in the high-income areas of the nation’s largest cities and surrounds, most foreigners will want to seek private education for their children. The public school system has acquired somewhat of a tarnished reputation, and has even been accused of ‘failing its youth’.
This sector is entirely dependent on the government for funding and supplies. Each province is responsible for making sure their schools are equipped and have enough money to run properly and pay salaries for teachers. As a result, standards and facilities can vary immensely, depending on the efficiency and the overall wealth of the province.Overall though, with a serious lack of financing and monitoring from the government, kids are getting the raw end of the deal with low standards of education, a lack of qualified teachers and in some cases, an outright absence of equipment in classrooms. Due to these shortcomings, parents that can afford it, and even those who can’t, prefer to send their children to private schools in South Africa.
That said, in the bigger cities, such as Pretoria and Cape Town, the standard of education in a public school is generally better, and in some cases may meet expat requirements.
Public schools are based on geographic catchment areas, and as a basic rule, the wealthier the area the better the school in that area. It follows that families living in higher income suburbs will not always require a private school for their children.
Model C schools in South Africa
The best government schools are those that are administered and funded by the parents. These so-called Model C schools can offer exceptional facilities and a very high standard of tuition. Examples include Rondebosch Boys or SACS in Cape Town, or King Edward’s School in Johannesburg.
Private schools in South Africa
On the other side of the spectrum, expats will find that they are quite spoilt for choice in choosing a private school for their child, depending on their location and what kind of education they are looking for.
Private schools in South Africa have an excellent reputation and offer internationally recognised exams, so children coming from these schools have an excellent acceptance rate for further education, worldwide. This criterion makes private schooling the number one choice for expat families coming to South Africa.
All private schools have a religious foundation, and daily attendance at chapel, shul, or mosque is expected. A core component of the educational ethos is to provide pupils with a spiritual foundation to complement their academic and physical accomplishments.
South Africa offers British based education in well-established private sector schooling; and The American International School, as well as European educators, have bases in all the big cities.
Similar to the private school system in other countries, it is assumed these institutions boast better infrastructure, state-of-the-art facilities and a larger selection of extra-curricular activities. Most private schools also claim the smaller class sizes, around 15 children with one teacher and one assistant, which parents prefer for their children.
In private schools, kids are able to take part in a number of after school programs; such as piano lessons, art, dancing and even golf. However, these must be paid for separately from school fees.
Alternative learning schools
On the left-field of the private schools are the alternative and arts schools, such as Waldorf and Montessori. Increasingly popular with expat parents with younger children, these schools can be found in all major cities and are comparatively easier to gain acceptance to.
â–ºClick here for a full directory of private schools in South Africa
School Fees
While the exact fee structure varies for each school, it is useful to provide a general guide to manage budgetary expectations:
- A top private school will charge from R40 000 for Year 1 tuition, rising to around R100 000 for matric (year 12).
- Model C schools fees range from R20 000 for Year 1 to R40 000 for matric.
- Government schools charge on a sliding scale according to parental income: from as little as R500 to R5 000 for Year 1 , up to R15 000 for year 12.
Home schooling in South Africa
Home schooling is an increasingly popular option for expat parents wanting to educate their children in South Africa, In order to home school your child you must apply to the head of the relevant provincial Department of Education and register your child for home schooling. The lessons you offer your child must fall within the scope of the basic compulsory phases of education as defined by the Department and records of your child’s coursework must be maintained.
Safety in schools in South Africa
There seems to be a large amount of angst, among expats, over the safety aspects of South Africa, especially in schools.
It’s important to note that everywhere in the world students and teachers have documented incidents of violence and intolerance, and South Africa is no exception. Unfortunately there are suburbs in the nation that have a bad rap for drugs and gangs, and within these suburbs there are public schools. The safety of the children in these areas is a priority, and schools are taking the relevant steps to ensure that the children and staff are secure.
That said, it is highly unlikely that expats would ever come across these suburbs, and in general, South African schools are considered safe.
Registration requirements for schools in South Africa
Once a parent has decided on a school, there are certain requirements that need to be met in order to register the child at the school.
A parent will need to provide the child’s birth certificate and up-to-date immunisation card, and in some cases, there may be registration fees involved, depending on the school.
Once the school has confirmed acceptance in writing, the parent will need to take that confirmation to a local home affairs office, to apply for a study permit. Some expats may even want to hire an immigration practitioner to assist with this process.
For final registration at the school, the parent will need to produce the child’s passport and the valid study permit; without a valid study permit, the child may be turned away.
