Week 6: Research

Because education is such a passion of mine, I chose to research about the effects of apartheid in the school system. Stark differences in educational resources, practices and outcomes across wealthier and poorer schools remain common. Here are the two articles that analyze the right to education in South Africa (both long but worth the read!)

Race differences in educational attainment of youth aged 7–18 in post-apartheid South Africa: The role of family structure, resources and school quality
"Even though the democratic government has persistently pursued policies to ensure educational access and equality, the apartheid legacy remains in areas such as educational financing, administration and the delivery of services."

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/21528586.2014.887917


The complexity of human rights in global times: The case of the right to education in South Africa
"It is ironic that this plethora of declarations signals that the right to education, re-framed as ‘education for all’, remains to be achieved...The problems of inequality and poor quality in the South African education system may similarly be used to contribute to an agenda for change."

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0738059309000935


Another article I found analyzes the rise and fall of income poverty, high (and worsening) inequality, the Human Development Index, unemployment and a strong demand for skilled labor, an unequal education system, and pro-poor social policies. It is very long and dense but provides incredible detail and insight into the specifics of the Democratic South Africa.

Poverty and Inequality After Apartheid
"The effects of unemployment on poverty are accentuated by the growth of an ‘underclass’ of people who suffer systematic disadvantage in the labor market with the result that they face no real possibility of escaping from poverty."

http://www.sarpn.org/documents/d0003024/Poverty_inequality_Seekings_Sep2007.pdf