Learner-to-Educator Ratio and its Impact on the Quality of Education Thesis

Learner-to-Educator Ratio and its Impact on the Quality of Education in South African Primary Schools - Thesis Example Though the number of educators has also increased but not at the rate desired to keep pace with student enrolment. Presently there are some 400,000 teachers employed in primary schools. The success of the primary school system is judged by academic performance based mainly on the level of passes in the systemic evaluations that take place in Grade 3 and 6. In 2001 the learner achievement results showed low achievement in numeracy and literacy. There are a number of determinants of academic success such as socioeconomic background of learners, learning facilities, resources, quality of the teachers and learner-to-educator ratio. In 2004 the grade 6 national systemic evaluation indicated that although a new curriculum and learning materials was developed and instituted throughout the primary school system learning achievement was still below par. A great majority of learners scored at the ‘non-achieved’ level (lower than 40% overall) with 41% in natural sciences, 38% in languages and some 27% in mathematics. Only 31% in natural sciences, 28% in languages and 12% in mathematics were functioning at or above the required grade 6 level (scores above 50%) and outstanding (scores over 70%) combined (Bulunga, Daniel, Southall, Lutchman (2006). With the increasing number of learners entering primary school and the low rate of increase of the number of educators it is prudent to note that the disparity between the two will eventually become large and its effects far reaching. As one of the determinants of academic performance the learner-to-educator ratio defined as the average number of pupils per educator at a particular level of education in a given school year becomes important to the delivery of high educational standards. There is a view amongst some researchers and educators suggesting that smaller classes has the benefit of allowing teachers to have the opportunity to devote much more time to every student in an effort