No-fee Schools Research Articles

An investigation of pedagogical change with novel technology in fee paying and no-fee schools during COVID-19

Following the reopening of schools after the national lockdown in March 2020, the Department of Basic Education (2020a) in South Africa implemented the School Reform Plan to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the loss of learning and teaching in schools. To date, limited information is available on the extent to which these measures have had an impact on pedagogical practices of teachers across the different poverty quintile schools. In this paper, we report on teachers' perceptions of how novel technological tools, introduced during the pandemic, altered their pedagogy practices across no-fee and fee-paying schools. Data was obtained from 1098 teachers and analysed using Engeström's (1987) Cultural Historical Activity Theory as the framework. Findings indicate that two broad, ideal pedagogical types, reinforcement pedagogy and collaborative pedagogy, emerged in both no-fee and fee-paying schools from the use of technology in schools during the COVID pandemic. While reinforcement pedagogy is motivated by the need to cover the curriculum, the motivation behind collaborative pedagogy is to develop learners' understanding of concepts in class.

The relationship between a set of selected variables characterizing FET phase South African geography teachers and their self-directed learning abilities

ABSTRACT This study investigates the relationship between a set of selected variables of geography teachers and their self-directed learning abilities. A quantitative research method based on the Self-Directed Learning Abilities Instrument (SDLi) was used. Geography teachers (n = 130) in the Further Education and Training phase in two districts in North West province completed the SDLi. Most of the teachers held the perception that they possessed the necessary SDL abilities. The results show that these teachers’ perceptions of their preparedness to teach geography to learners had a moderate but significant correlation (r = 315; p = .000) with their perceptions of their SDL abilities, while satisfaction with their profession as geography teachers had a weak but significant correlation with their SDL abilities (r = 0.276; p = .001). The results show no relationship between the teachers’ teaching experience, school quintile or teaching qualifications and their SDL abilities. Geography teachers with a postgraduate degree held more positive perceptions of their SDL abilities in comparison to teachers with an undergraduate degree or a teaching diploma. Small practically significant differences between teachers teaching in no-fee schools (Quintiles 1 to 3) and geography teachers teaching in fee-paying schools (Quintiles 4 and 5) were reported, with the teachers in no-fee schools holding slightly more positive perceptions of their SDL abilities.

Community-based peer mentorship improves academic performance: Evidence from Makhanda, South Africa

ABSTRACT Despite high rates of education expenditure, South Africa's education system remains sharply unequal and underperforms overall compared to other countries. One approach to addressing education inequality and underperformance is community-based peer mentorship. This paper presents evidence from the Nine Tenths mentorship programme in Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) as a way to improve academic performance among matric students in under-resourced secondary schools. Using school matric pass rates from 2012 to 2021 and student admission metrics for participants in 2020–2022, a strong association is found between the activities of Nine Tenths and improved academic performance. No-fee schools where Nine Tenths is active record pass rates that are 28 percentage points higher on average than schools without Nine Tenths. Matric students who participate in Nine Tenths increase their Admissions Points Score (APS) by 4.23 points on average, and every student between 2020 and 2022 earned a bachelor pass. While the evidence suggests that Nine Tenths is effective, the programme operates on a relatively small scale and is not broad-based in its implementation. The programme shows is a promising example of community-based interventions to address schooling inequality independently and more efficiently than the current education policy in South Africa.

Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 school reform plan on teachers’ assessment practices

ABSTRACT To mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning, the School Recovery Plan (SRP) was implemented by the Department of Basic Education in South Africa. In this study, we explore the impact of the SRP on teachers’ conceptualisation of new and different assessment practices. Data were obtained from 1098 teachers using an online survey and analysed using Cultural Historical Activity Theory. The findings revealed that the reduced emphasis on formal assessments and the enhanced emphasis on formative assessment had a positive impact on teachers’ teaching practices. These findings point to a conducive environment for transforming teachers’ assessment practices and for developing new patterns of learning that could potentially challenge prevailing accountability and performativity cultures. Additional research is required to determine whether the intent of the SRP can lead to sustained change in teachers’ assessment practices across fee and no-fee schools, and its impact of on learners’ learning.

Performance of the school-based human papillomavirus vaccine uptake in Tshwane, South Africa.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is an effective preventive measure against HPV infection and HPV-associated cervical cancer. South Africa introduced its HPV vaccination programme in 2014. The authors assessed the uptake of HPV vaccine in the school-based HPV vaccination programme in Tshwane Health District for the year 2019 and compared the vaccine uptake (VU) between fee-paying and no-fee public schools. The study method was cross-sectional, using routine electronic health records of the HPV vaccination programme. The study population included all Grade 4 school-girls between the ages of 9 and 14 years who attended public schools in 2019 in the Tshwane Health District. The pooled VU for the Tshwane Health District was 72.0%, considerably lower than the target of 80.0%. The number of girls who received dose one and dose two in 2019 was 16 122 (73.0%) and 15 734 (71.0%), respectively, excluding the catch-up figures. In addition, 82.2% of fee-paying schools achieved VU of above 80% versus 65.5% of no-fee schools (p = 0.022). The lower than target levels of VU for HPV among girls in Tshwane Health District, particularly in those attending no-fee schools, is concerning. Interventions should be adopted to optimise programme performance so as to achieve the target VU of 80%. This study showed the need to strengthen sensitisation and social mobilisation efforts, particularly among no-fee schools to improve the VU.

Supporting teachers to develop formative assessment knowledge and skills in no-fee schools

Background: Formative assessment has been reported to improve learners’ learning in affluent contexts. However, very few studies have reported the impact of formative assessment on teachers’ knowledge and understanding in no-fee public schools located in a low socio-economic context.Aim: This article investigates the impact of the Assessment for Learning Capacity Development Programme (AfL CDP) on teachers’ formative assessment knowledge and understanding pertaining to the five formative assessment strategies: learning intentions and success criteria, questioning, feedback, peer and self-assessment.Setting: This study was conducted as part of the Assessment for Learning (AfL) in Africa project in one Gauteng district involving 20 Grade 3 teachers from six no-fee public schools.Methods: Teachers in this study participated in the AfL CDP, implemented using the reflect, mediate, acquire and adapt, plan, prepare, present, support (ReMAPS) intervention framework. Baseline and endline data were collected using the formative assessment reflection exercises (FARE) before and after the AfL CDP, while t-tests were used to determine differences in performance.Results: The results revealed significant improvements in teacher formative assessment knowledge and understanding across all five strategies.Conclusion: The ReMAPS intervention framework, applied in the AfL CDP, proved successful in supporting teachers to improve their formative assessment knowledge and understanding, even when implemented in challenging contexts, and provides a viable, practical model for implementing AfL pedagogical strategy by the Department of Education.Contribution: This study adds to the body of knowledge by providing research-based findings about how an AfL capacity development programme implemented in a challenging context in South Africa, benefited teachers’ pedagogical knowledge and understanding.

What Do You Mean by ‘Good’? the Search for Exceptional Primary Schools in South Africa's No-Fee School System

This paper describes a rigorous data collection process to find and verify the quality of what could potentially be high-functioning or high-performing schools accessible to the poor in three of South Africa’s nine provinces. A potential sample of outlier schools is selected using system-wide Universal Annual National Assessment data corroborated against school recommendations collected from a variety of system actors expected to be informed about school quality. Unfortunately, literacy testing in 31 purposively selected schools yields no example of high-performing, no-fee schools. However, we identify outlier or resilient students even in under-performing schools. Furthermore, within the no-fee school system there exists a continuum of functionality. Schools exist that while far from reaching good (or even adequate) median levels of English literacy, exhibit relatively higher literacy levels than other sample schools after controlling for student background differences. The presence of these relatively better performing sample schools (and performance variation more generally in the no-fee system) suggests that there is a middle-ground, a rightward movement away from dysfunction that can be reached. However, it is not clear that all system actors are able to detect variations in school quality. Our sample of respondents recommending ’good’ schools are only able to identify slightly better performing no-fee schools. For certain groups, specifically education district officials, enrolment growth appears to be a better indicator of their perceptions of ‘good’ than measures of student performance.

Unpacking the efficacy of a continuous professional development programme to support teachers to use assessment in no-fee schools

Since the first democratic elections in 1994, South Africa's education system has undergone four curriculum revisions. In each of these iterations, the teachers who were among the first in line to implement change were the Foundation Phase (FP) teachers. However, since then, the low numeracy and literacy levels of primary school learners have been of increasing concern. In this context, in 2017, a series of continuous professional development (CPD) workshops were run with 18 Grade 3 FP teachers from five no-fee primary schools in the Cape Winelands to enhance their use of assessment to improve teaching and learning. This professional development model comprised six monthly workshops, in which the teachers were introduced to various assessment for learning (AfL) techniques and strategies. Each workshop was subsequently supplemented with a classroom support visit by one of the workshop presenters. A few months after the conclusion of the workshops and support visits, the participating teachers, subject advisers, management, and district officials were interviewed about programme efficacy. What emerged was that although all stakeholders saw value in this CPD initiative, the subject advisers and teachers felt that they had particularly benefitted from the programme in terms of the training received, the training model, materials, and follow-up support visits. However, despite the teachers' enthusiasm, there was a varied level of implementation of AfL practices in classrooms-shaped by the context in which the schools were located and their internal dynamics. Affecting the efficacy of the programme-and thus having implications for sustainability-were extraneous factors such as programme timing, competing priorities, and school dynamics. This suggests that for any such CPD programme to succeed, the various factors that could inhibit programme success need to be noted and circumvented.

A divided schooling system: the spatial nature of secondary education in Ladybrand, Free State, South Africa

ABSTRACT School choice and commuting in Ladybrand’s three high schools was explored. While all were numerically dominated by Black African children, only the fee-charging former whites-only public school, in the heart of Ladybrand, had a multiracial learner profile. Black African learners enrolled in this school hailed from mostly middle-class homes in the neighbouring Black African township of Lesotho. The homes are financially resourced. Parents are educated, married and employed in skilled or professional jobs. These learners passively commuted to school. The profile of the two no-fee schools, located in the former ‘black only’ designated peripheral townships, was different. Here learners are almost exclusively Black South Africans, living in poorly educated, single-parent homes. Household finances were weak with parents either unemployed or working in semi-skilled or unskilled jobs. These learners either used a subsidized government bus, mini-bus taxis or walked (in some cases long distances from neighbouring farms) to school. Parents said they selected no-fee schools on geographical proximity and low cost; whereas education quality drove choice for the former white school. The socio-economic and demographic profile of learners in no-fee versus fee-paying schools was statistically significant. Ladybrand’s high schools are segregated by class, a situation reflecting much of urban South Africa.

COVID-19 learning losses: Early grade reading in South Africa

Using three different studies on early grade reading from no-fee schools across in South Africa, this paper establishes short-term learning losses in reading for grade 2 and 4 students from under-resourced school contexts. We find that in 2020 grade 2 students lost between 57 % and 70 % of a year of learning relative to their pre-pandemic peers. Among a grade 4 sample, learning losses are estimated at between 62 % and 81 % of a year of learning. Considering that in 2020 students in the samples lost between 56 %–60 % of contact teaching days due to school closures and rotational timetabling schedules compared to a pre-pandemic year, this implies learning to schooling loss ratios in the region of 1–1.4. There is some evidence from the grade 4 sample that the reading trajectories of children benefiting more from attending school pre-pandemic – namely girls and children with stronger initial reading proficiency - are more negatively impacted. Mitigating the long-run implications of these learning losses will require a significant pivoting of the education system to ensure that instructional practices are appropriately levelled to optimise learning.

Striving for equity: Life orientation resources in South African high schools

As a school subject, life orientation (LO) aims to improve learner well-being, but a lack of classroom resources may be a barrier. We investigated whether classroom resources were equally available for LO educators in fully funded (no-fee) and partially funded (fee-paying) high schools in Tshwane South, South Africa. In this analytical cross-sectional study, LO representatives completed questionnaires about the availability of resources in their schools. Sixty-seven LO representatives completed the questionnaire. No-fee and fee-paying schools had the same availability of government resources and textbooks, but no-fee schools had less access to audio-visual equipment and printed materials. Representatives from both categories of schools were least satisfied with the availability of resources for the topic: Health. In contrast, they thought that the resources for non-health related topics such as career and skills-development were adequate. Representatives from no-fee schools were less satisfied with physical education resources (U (56) = -2.29, p = 0.02). The government’s efforts to redress inequity is evident in the availability of basic resources. However, a lack of health resources is a source of concern in a society that has a quadruple burden of disease.

Promoting the development of foundation phase learners in under-resourced environments using Ayres Sensory Integration® principles and custom-designed, low-cost playgrounds

Introduction: Children from under-resourced environments often lack opportunities to engage in sensory experiences that support developmental abilities and scholastic performance. “Back to Urth” playgrounds were designed to address the developmental needs of foundation phase learners in under-resourced communities. A 12-week sensory-motor program, based on Ayres Sensory Integration ® (ASI) principles, was developed, and educators were trained to present this program on a “Back to Urth” playground at a rural school in the Free State. This study aimed to determine the effect of the program, on the development of Grade R and Grade 1 learners. Method: Learners from two comparable, no-fee schools were included in this experimental non-randomised pre-test-post-test control group design study. Learners from one school participated in the sensory-motor program on the “Back to Urth” playground (n=40), and learners from the other school served as the control group (n=41). The effect of the program was measured with the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency 2 nd Edition (Short Form), Revised Ayres-based Clinical Observations, and the Optima School Readiness Assessment. Results: An improvement in scores for both groups, with the experimental group showing statistically greater improvement in their Revised Ayres-based Clinical Observations and Optima School Readiness Assessment total scores were indicated. Conclusion: This research provides evidence that sensory-motor components subserving learning can be improved when learners are exposed to a sensory-motor program designed within the framework of ASI ® , presented by educators on a low cost “Back to Urth” playground. KEYWORDS Sensory-motor, development, low-cost sustainable playground, sensory integration, educators

The functionality of finance committees in no-fee schools of Limpopo province, South Africa

<abstract> This article used qualitative research method to arrive at an in-depth understanding of the functionality of financial committees in schools as required by the Department of Education. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis with principals, finance officers, chairpersons, and treasures. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that there are no finance committees and financial policies in schools. In case where there is financial committee it was not operating as expected as members were working individually and not collectively. This was attributed to a lack of knowledge on policy and legislation for financial management. The study recommends that the school which does not have the finance committee should establish such a committee as matter of urgency because it is mandated by the policy. Circuit officials charged with school governance must enforce the policy and legislative mandates relating to financial management by helping the schools in the formulation of such committee. Members of finance committee must be thoroughly trained to execute their functions as it is evident that they are not performing their functions accordingly. The study further recommends that parent members serving on the finance committees must be paid a stipend as it was evident that some of them value their livelihood more than participating in the committee. </abstract>

Narrowing the achievement gap of Grade 12 in no-fee schools in Gauteng using pro-poor funding

Since the advent of democracy in 1994, access to quality and equitable education still remains a challenge in the Gauteng province. As an intervention to improve access and quality of learning in all schools, especially township schools, the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) declared schools across Quintiles 1 to 3 throughout the province to be no-fee schools. In this article we examine various GDE pro-poor intervention programmes, the effects of a progressive school funding policy, and efforts to achieving equity through improved resource allocations. It is essential to assess the progress of the GDE’s explicit pro-poor education policies towards promoting equity and equality in education, with particular focus on the performance of Grade 12 learners in no-fee schools. One of the findings of the study reported on here reveals that, although the GDE faced challenges in implementing the no-fee policy at school level, there has been progressive improvements in the standard of education as reflected in the Grade 12 results of no-fee schools.

Critical path to a sustainable future of managing no-fee secondary schools in the Limpopo Province

The disparity in the socio-economic status of South Africa has forced the government to adopt a funding policy for public secondary schools. The policy is based on funding schools considered to be poor because they are in poverty-stricken communities. Most of these schools lack infrastructure, and physical and financial resources to be run successfully, while the former Model C schools have adequate resources. In this article I advocate for equitable funding for all learners, and the role played by the school governing body (SGB) in the management of funds is also identified. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 6 members of the SGB from 2 secondary schools in the Vhembe district of the Limpopo province, South Africa. The participants who were purposefully sampled were 2 SGB chairpersons, 2 treasurers and 2 secretaries. The findings suggest that the SGBs were aware of their financial management roles but did not execute their roles effectively. They lacked the knowledge and skills to perform their roles. The SGBs require mandatory training from the Department of Education. It is also suggested that a qualified financial management expert is included in the membership of every SGB.

School financial management: Insights for decision making in public primary schools

To realise the ideal of quality inclusive education, proper financial management is vital. Existing literature indicates that the mismanagement of school funds is largely due to principals and the school governing bodies (SGB) in many schools not having good working relationships with stakeholders and lacking the necessary financial skills, more specifically in schools in townships and rural areas. The study we report on in this article investigated the financial management of public primary schools situated in urban areas by adopting a qualitative research approach and employing a multiple case study research design. Five schools participated and data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews with the principal, school accountant and chairperson of the SGB of the selected schools. Findings revealed that, despite the fact that all South African schools are governed and controlled by the South African Schools Act, the financial management of fee-paying schools differs from no-fee schools situated in townships and rural areas. In many schools, the unavailability of the parent members of SGBs and their limited financial skills were barriers to effective financial decisions. Based on these findings, we recommend that the relevant stakeholders involved in school financial management obtain continuous training from the Department of Basic Education, in order to empower and support school governors to effectively carry out their financial functions.

Responding to school funding challenges in no-fee and fee-paying schools: Lessons from South African principals

Drawing on the quintile system of categorising schools, South African public schools are bifurcated into no-fee and fee paying schools. Emerging research has shown that school principals in both categories of schools encounter several challenges with regard to school funding. In this article, we employ contingency leadership theory to examine how school principals respond to the school funding challenges they encounter. An interpretive, qualitative case study drawing on semi-structured interviews with 4 purposively selected principals was conducted. To augment the interview data, purposively selected school documents were reviewed. Through thematic analysis, it was found that principals in fee-paying and no-fee schools employ a cocktail of practices to respond to the challenges they encounter. From the findings, we learn that school funding challenges push principals to enact a form of transgressive leadership where they adopt a context-driven, as opposed to a policy-driven approach to school leadership. Furthermore, the funding challenges drive school principals to renegotiate their roles as professional managers of the school and as ex-officio members of the School Governing Body. This results in school principals becoming more entrepreneurial in their school leadership.

Principals’ views on the implementation of the no-fee policy through the lens of capability theory

The purpose of the study reported on here was to investigate the implementation of the no-fee schools policy in quintile 1 schools in the Frances Baard district of the Northern Cape province. The South African schooling system categorises schools into quintile 1 to 5 schools, and, since 2006, disadvantaged learners in quintiles 1 to 3 have been exempted from paying fees. This study explored the perceptions of school principals regarding the implementation of the no-fee policy in the South African context, by applying a capability approach, which offers a novel perspective. In the study we used a descriptive design located within the qualitative tradition. Nine principals from quintile 1 schools were purposively selected as participants. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, and a thematic framework was used for analysis. The findings indicate that the no-fee schools policy is only implemented partially by stakeholders (principals and school governing bodies). Furthermore, it was found that there is a lack of knowledge about the content of the policy which consequently inhibits effective implementation. Based on the findings, it is recommended that the Department of Education monitors the implementation of the no-fee policy more closely.

Exploring primary school teachers’ use of formative assessment across fee and no-fee schools

Background: Recent initiatives by the Department of Basic Education to support teachers to enhance their use of formative assessment are positive steps for improving teaching and learning. However, the nature and type of support required by teachers is unclear given the dearth of information on teachers’ current pedagogical practices, and the extent to which formative assessment approaches are applied. Aim: This article explores teachers’ pedagogical practices in relation to five key formative assessment strategies: introduction of lesson objectives and assessment criteria, questioning and learner engagement, feedback practices and peer and self-assessment. Setting: This study was conducted in two districts involving 96 foundation and intermediate phase teachers selected from 54 fee- and no-fee-paying schools. Methods: Data were obtained using lesson observations and document review schedules. The analysis comprised descriptive and chi-square statistics. Results: Some evidence of all the formative assessment strategies as well as the range of steps that characterised each strategy was observed in the pedagogical practices of teachers sampled for this study. However, only a minority of teachers were able to demonstrate effective use of any specific strategy. No significant differences were detected between teachers in fee-paying and no-fee-paying schools as well as between the foundation and intermediate phases. Conclusion: Evidence of various aspects of the formative assessment approach in teachers’ pedagogical practices provides a positive platform for enhancing their formative assessment knowledge and skills. The key challenge pertains to ensuring the effective implementation of the formative assessment approach to address the specific learning needs of all learners, in both fee and no-fee schools.

Prevalence of motor skill impairment among Grade R learners in the West Coast District of South Africa

A high prevalence of medical conditions affects the typical motor development of learners in the West Coast District of South Africa. Given the strong correlation between motor skill performance and academic achievement, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of motor skill impairment among Grade R learners (5–7-year olds) enrolled in public schools in the area. Multistage cluster sampling was used to identify 6 schools from which all Grade R learners were invited to participate. Following ethical approval, 138 learners’ gross and fine motor skills were assessed using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2nd edition (M-ABC2). Results indicate that the prevalence of significant motor skill impairment in this region was high at 14.5%, and that the prevalence of children with manual dexterity difficulties was very high, at 24.6% (i.e. scores below the 15th percentile of the M-ABC2) when compared to global statistics, yet comparable to countries with a similar socio-economic structure. The prevalence of children with balance difficulties was 18.1%, while the prevalence of children with difficulties in aiming and catching was low at 4.3%. Pearson’s correlation indicates that gender (male), a lack of playground equipment and low weight/height are factors associated with learners’ poor manual dexterity, while poor manual dexterity and balance skills were associated with learners attending no-fee schools. The study confirms that motor skill difficulties are a significant problem in this region and calls for further research to address the problem. Keywords: academic progress; Grade R learners; manual dexterity; motor impairment; motor skills; prevalence