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December 23, 2023 in 2023, Development 2023, Education - Working Papers, Education 2023, Gabrielle Wills, Health - Working Papers, Health 2023, News and Opinion, Working Papers

COVID-19 and inequality in reading outcomes in South Africa: PIRLS 2016 and 2021

In this Covid-Generation working paper, Bianca Böhmer and Gabrielle Wills contribute new evidence on pandemic effects on reading scores and inequalities in reading in South…
December 23, 2023 By: Bianca Böhmer and Gabrielle Wills PDF
December 22, 2023 in 2023, Authors, Education - Reports & Policy, Education 2023, News and Opinion, Reports

What rich new education data can tell us

This report leverages data mainly derived from the South African School Administration Management System (SA-SAMS), including a unique longitudinal version of the Data Driven Districts (DDD)…
December 22, 2023 By: Servaas van der Berg, Chris van Wyk, Martin Gustafsson, Herman Meyer, Abigail Chari, Chloé van Biljon, Adaiah Lilenstein, Rebecca Selkirk & Jessica McCallum PDF

Research on Socioeconomic Policy (RESEP) is a group of scholars and students interested in issues of poverty, income distribution, social mobility, economic development and social policy. Based at the Department of Economics at the University of Stellenbosch. The team is lead by Servaas van der Berg, whose position as the Chair in the Economics of Social Policy since 2008, has lead to the further consolidation of research within these areas.

Recent Papers

The latest working papers, publications, reports and policy briefs by RESEP researchers.

Repetition and dropout in South Africa before, during and after COVID-19

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In this research report, Gabrielle Wills and Jess Qvist collate existing and new evidence on grade repetition and school dropout in South Africa before, during…
January 15, 2024 By: Gabrielle Wills and Jess Qvist PDF
December 23, 2023 in 2023, Development 2023, Education - Working Papers, Education 2023, Gabrielle Wills, Health - Working Papers, Health 2023, News and Opinion, Working Papers

COVID-19 and inequality in reading outcomes in South Africa: PIRLS 2016 and 2021

In this Covid-Generation working paper, Bianca Böhmer and Gabrielle Wills contribute new evidence on pandemic effects on reading scores and inequalities in reading in South…
December 23, 2023 By: Bianca Böhmer and Gabrielle Wills PDF
December 22, 2023 in 2023, Authors, Education - Reports & Policy, Education 2023, News and Opinion, Reports

What rich new education data can tell us

This report leverages data mainly derived from the South African School Administration Management System (SA-SAMS), including a unique longitudinal version of the Data Driven Districts (DDD)…
December 22, 2023 By: Servaas van der Berg, Chris van Wyk, Martin Gustafsson, Herman Meyer, Abigail Chari, Chloé van Biljon, Adaiah Lilenstein, Rebecca Selkirk & Jessica McCallum PDF
November 15, 2023 in 2023, Education, Education - Working Papers, Education 2023, Gabrielle Wills, News and Opinion, Working Papers

Early Grade Repetition in South Africa: Implications for Reading

As part of the Covid-Generation project, Gabrielle Wills examines early grade repetition patterns in South Africa and the effects of early grade repetition on the…
November 15, 2023 By: Gabrielle Wills PDF
November 14, 2023 in 2023, Dieter von Fintel, Journal Articles, Marlies Piek, News and Opinion

The Impact of Agricultural Minimum Wages on Worker Flows in South Africa

This paper is the first to estimate the impact of minimum wages on worker flows and employment growth rates in a developing country with scarce…
November 14, 2023 By: Marlies Piek and Dieter von Fintel PDF

Ongoing Projects

The Teacher Demographic Dividend (TDD) project

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The Teacher Demographic Dividend (TDD) project looks at the challenge of replacing older teachers, but it also offers the opportunity to renew the teaching workforce.…
July 26, 2023 By: RESEP Team PDF

Roots and wings: Improved quality in subsidised housing

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This project is a collaboration between Stellenbosch University, Theewaterskloof municipality and Western Cape Department of Human Settlements. The aim is to use upward and downward…
August 11, 2021 By: Marisa von Fintel, Natalie van Reenen (US), Brenda Mothibe (Theewaterskloof), Lenine Felix (Rooidakke), Francis Felix (Rooidakke) PDF

Reading and socio-emotional skills in challenging school contexts: Evidence from South African primary schools

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This project is linked to the Early Learning Programme (ELP) and uses data from the Readership and Literacy project but is also supplemented by others…
October 22, 2020 By: Gabrielle Wills, Heleen Hofmeyr, Rebecca Selkirk, Servaas van der Berg, E. Pretorius (UNISA), C. Ardington (UCT), N. Mohohlwane (DBE), Nwabisa Makaluza (RESEP/ Funda Wanda), N. Mtsatse (Funda Wanda) PDF

Team

RESEP (Research on Socio-Economic Policy)
RESEP is a group of researchers in the Department of Economics at the University of Stellenbosch.

Funding

RESEP has received funding for its research from various organisations and governments. In recent years, funding for research has been provided by, amongst others, The Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Endowment; The UK’s Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC); UNICEF offices in South Africa, Namibia and Eswatini; Zenex Foundation, Tshikululu Social Investments, PSPPD (Presidency/European Union) and The National Research Foundation (NRF).