World Bank Education Sector Analysis report released today

17 September 2024

The report on the World Bank’s Education Sector Analysis (ESA) undertaken at the request of the Western Cape has been released today, 17 September 2024.

Work on the ESA began in February 2023, and the World Bank has conducted extensive research and consultation with a view to providing an in-depth understanding of the current status of the province’s education system, and recommendations on how to address priority challenges. This in turn will inform the preparation of targeted provincial strategies.

The ultimate objective of having this analysis undertaken for our province is to improve the learning outcomes of the children of the Western Cape.

The report was released today by the World Bank Country Director for South Africa, Satu Kahkonen, along with Western Cape Education Department officials, education experts, and special guests including the Western Cape Minister of Finance, Deidré Baartman, and the Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis.

Country Director Kahkonen said:

“The World Bank is delighted to support efforts to enhance both the quality of and the access to education for young South Africans. We are proud to partner with the Western Cape Education Department to share international good practice and expertise tailored to the local context and challenges, which will empower young people with the relevant skills to realize their full potential and be active in the economy.” 

The report indicates that the Western Cape has higher learning levels than other provinces in South Africa, according to international assessments, but that despite these achievements, we still face serious challenges in terms of learning in the province, as does the rest of South Africa.

The report proposes specific interventions to address this learning crisis:

Strengthening the foundations of learning through access to better quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) services;

Support for teachers, with increased emphasis on early grades; focusing continuous professional development on how to teach to supplement what to teach (i.e., curriculum and assessment), and building teachers’ capabilities to address a typically diverse range of learner abilities within individual classes;

Implementing and testing innovations in education service delivery that would improve both learning and access, and leveraging public-private partnerships; and

Close monitoring of all initiatives to ensure implementation is on track and that data is used to assess progress regularly and course correct as needed.

The report acknowledges our #BackOnTrack programme to reverse learning losses as an example of our Department’s “agility, strategic sense, and creativity in problem-solving”.

It also acknowledges our need to accommodate thousands of additional learners entering the system every year, and that our Rapid School Build program is potentially the most cost-effective way to expand the network of schools quickly. 

Finally, the report highlights the role that our annual systemic tests play in highlighting the gaps in learning, and how they could be used to target resources to learners who need additional support.

Thank you to the World Bank officials and contributors who developed this report, and the WCED officials who assisted in the process.

Our department will now analyse the findings and recommendations with a view to further improving learning outcomes and giving our children a better future in the Western Cape.

The World Bank’s report is available here: https://wcedonline.westerncape.gov.za/western-cape-education-sector-analysis

Statement issued by David Maynier, Western Cape Minister of Education, 17 September 2024