Van der Berg, S & Spaull, N. (2020). Counting the Cost: COVID-19 school closures in South Africa & its impacts on children. Research on Socioeconomic Policy (RESEP). Stellenbosch University. Stellenbosch.
June 16, 2020 PDF
RESEP education research has a strong emphasis on empirical research in a broad range of policy-related issues including teacher knowledge and training, early-childhood outcomes, accountability, socioeconomic status, and school effectiveness. Policy application is one of the central aims of the research.
Reports & Policy Briefs: Education
Who should go back to school first in South Africa? Children under 10 are least susceptible to COVID-19, they should go back first. Spaull,…
May 10, 2020 PDF
International Tests: What are they and why should South Africa participate? South Africa takes part in three major international assessments: TIMSS, PIRLS and SEACMEQ. This…
May 6, 2020 PDF
A recent paper by Martin Gustafsson shows that there have been significant improvements in reading in South Africa in recent years.
March 4, 2020 PDF
Wills, G., 2019. School leadership and management: Identifying linkages with learning and structural inequalities. In South African Schooling: The Enigma of Inequality (pp. 301-320). Springer, Cham.
November 25, 2019 PDF
Leadership for Literacy Exploring leadership practices in township and rural primary schools serving poor communities in South Africa Final Report on the Case Study Schools…
January 7, 2019 PDF
Exploring how school leaders promote literacy improvements
Stellenbosch Policy Brief No. 06/2018The performance of South African learners in reading comprehension is extremely poor. The Progress in International Literacy and Reading Study (2016) highlighted that by the…
September 4, 2018 PDF
School leadership and local learning contexts in South Africa
Stellenbosch Policy Brief No. 05/2018The role of the school principal in South African schools has evolved. No longer are they only seen as managers and administrators; they are also…
September 4, 2018 PDF
Structural inequalities in school leadership and management across South African schools
Stellenbosch Policy Brief No. 04/2018In the National Development Plan strengthening the quality of school leadership and management was identified as a priority to support improvements in South African basic…
September 4, 2018 PDF
The possibility of improvements despite a lack of existing high-quality no-fee primary schools
Stellenbosch Policy Brief No. 03/2018The low quality of South African schooling has been widely confirmed through international tests of mathematics and literacy. The 2016 Progress in International Reading Literacy…
September 4, 2018 PDF
Creating reading fluency benchmarks in African languages
Stellenbosch Policy Brief No. 02/2018Learning to read for meaning is the most important skill that children learn in primary school. If a child cannot read well, then they will…
September 4, 2018 PDF
Academic resilience in challenging school contexts in South Africa
Stellenbosch Policy Brief No. 01/2018Poverty is considered a risk factor that jeopardizes children’s academic performance. Yet even in high poverty contexts there are students who manage to achieve consistently…
September 4, 2018 PDF
Recent research looking at “higher education access and outcomes for the 2008 national matric cohort”, by Hendrik van Broekhuizen, Servaas van der Berg and Heleen Hofmeyr of Stellenbosch University are colouring the debate around student fees in South Africa with in-depth analysis that are attracting welcome interest.
November 6, 2017 PDF
The DBE’s workbooks as a curriculum tool
Stellenbosch Policy Brief No. 01/2016Stellenbosch Policy Brief No. 01/2016 Abstract: The Department of Basic Education’s workbooks are an impressive and most welcome recent intervention in our education system. Creating…
October 16, 2017 PDF
Adding randomised control trials (RCTs) to the education research toolkit
Stellenbosch Policy Brief No. 02/2016Stellenbosch Policy Brief No. 02/2016 Abstract: The performance of learners in South Africa has been consistently poor, as measured by several national and international assessments:…
October 16, 2017 PDF
What the ANAs tell us about socioeconomic learning gaps in South Africa
Stellenbosch Policy Brief No. 03/2016Stellenbosch Policy Brief No. 03/2016 Abstract: The South African school system is under pressure to develop children’s potential irrespective of home background. But currently the…
October 16, 2017 PDF
Learning to read and reading to learn
Stellenbosch Policy Brief No. 04/2016Stellenbosch Policy Brief No. 04/2016 Abstract: Reading for meaning and pleasure is arguably the most important skill children learn in primary school. Since almost all…
October 16, 2017 PDF
Excessive class sizes in the Foundation Phase
Stellenbosch Policy Brief No. 05/2016Stellenbosch Policy Brief No. 05/2016 Abstract: In previous research we have stressed the importance of learning to read by the end of Grade 3 (see…
October 16, 2017 PDF
Building an evidence base for inclusive education in South Africa: Focusing on learners with disabilities
Stellenbosch Policy Brief No. 06/2016Stellenbosch Policy Brief No. 06/2016 Abstract: To make rational decisions that will lead to good education for all, policymakers need reliable information and solid evidence….
October 16, 2017 PDF
Limited support for the foundation phase: A misallocation of district resources
Stellenbosch Policy Brief No. 07/2016Stellenbosch Policy Brief No. 07/2016 Abstract: To realise improvements in the South African education system and overcome substantial inequalities in learning that exist, prioritisation must…
October 16, 2017 PDF
