Transforming Society through Quality Primary Education in South Africa: Lessons from Two Decades after Apartheid

All families would like to see their children attain success through formal education. The child is also under pressure to learn culture, discipline and morality. Effective education is seen by many as an act that not only should help build the children through these societal values but also expects the children to learn from the demands of a constantly changing globalising world. There is however, much need to review primary education as well as methods used to teach children. This paper explores the challenges faced by many historically disadvantaged schools in South Africa and why it has become insurmountable to improve learner achievement. Many learners who start primary school encounter many challenges in under-resourced schools and a few drop out before high school. Some critics aver that the apartheid legacy in South Africa still looms large and is thwarting some of the progress that would have been made. Furthermore, the paper explores the poor performance in the national assessment of learners examining aspects such as social and cultural capital. The presentation concludes by focusing on strategies that can be implemented to improve learner achievement and these include enhancing school management, improving teacher education programs and developing poor and under-resourced schools. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n6p33