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Stellenbosch Working Papers

Working Papers

Roots and wings: Improved quality in subsidised housing

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

Benchmarking oral reading fluency in the early grades in Nguni languages

To prevent children from falling behind in the developmental sequence of reading, a shared vision of what reading success looks like is required. This paper provides the first benchmarks for early grade oral reading fluency that are necessary (albeit not sufficient) to read for meaning in three Nguni languages – isiZulu, isiXhosa and Siswati – belonging to the Southern Bantu family of African languages.

July 18, 2021 By: Cally Ardington, Gabrielle Wills, Elizabeth Pretorius, Nompumelelo Mohohlwane, and Alicia Menendeze PDF

How basic education has improved in the Western Cape in the past six years

Repetition is a serious problem in South Africa, and the Western Cape is no exception. In any given year between 2007 and 2019, repetition has ranged between 72,000 and 100,000, with notable enrolment bulges in grades 1, 4, 9 and 10. An important consequence of repetition—when not cancelled by dropout—is an increase in the proportion of children who are older than what would be considered appropriate for a particular grade. For example, at least a third of grade 12 learners in 2019 were overage.

June 28, 2021 By: RESEP Team PDF

Resilience key to improving your circumstances

When meeting Dumisani Hompashe and listening to his story, the word “resilience” automatically comes to mind. Because resilience is the silver thread running through his entire life, from his childhood to his part-time PhD studies in Economics at Stellenbosch University (SU).

May 20, 2021 By: Daniel Bugan PDF

The Economics of Health in South Africa

The remnants of the colonial and apartheid era are evident in the South African health system’s persistently higher levels of injury, mental health problems, disease and mortality amongst the poor and marginalized—mediated through a wide range of social determinants including environmental health factors such as hygiene, access to clean water, clean air and adequate sanitation, violent crime and trauma, occupational risk, alcohol abuse and tobacco dependence.

April 22, 2021 By: Ronelle Burger & Mosima Ngwenya PDF