The South African family is in crisis according to an SAIRR Report

South African families are in crisis according to a recent report released by the South African Institute of Race Relations. The report “The First Steps to Healing the South African Family”, documents the extent of family breakdown in South Africa and the effect this is having on children and the youth.

Some of the statistics that can be found in the report are:

• Of the 9.1 million double orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2005, around 5.2 million (almost 60%) had lost at least one of their parents to AIDS
• South Africa has 859 000 double orphans (children who have lost both parents) (2008 figures)
• South Africa has 2 468 000 paternal orphans (2008 figures)
• South Africa has 624 000 maternal orphans (2008 figures)
• 3.95 million children in South Africa had lost 1 or both parents by 2008 which means an increase of about one third since 2002
• Almost half of all orphans and two-thirds of double orphans in South Africa were between the ages of 12 and 17 years
•  481 994 double orphans were enrolled in ordinary schools in South Africa in 2008
• 1 661 275 children whose mother or father had died were enrolled in ordinary schools in South Africa in 2008
• Medical Research Council’s estimates in 2002 were that in 2015 some 5 700 000 children in Southern Africa would have lost one or both parents to AIDS

To more go to TimesLive’s article by Clicking Here!

To download the full report Click Here!

A boom in the number of black graduates in South Africa

The number of blacks who received university degrees in South Africa in 2008 increased by 334 % since 1991, compared with a 14 % increase in white graduates for the same period, according to research released by the South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR). Most of these degrees, however were being conferred by formerly white institutions.

It was found that most of the degrees awarded in 2008 were done by the University of South Africa (UNISA), making up 12.8 % of the degrees conferred by 23 public universities and universities of technology. The study showed that University of Pretoria awards the most masters and doctorate degrees with 15.8% awarded in 2008. University of Stellenbosch awarded 13% of masters and doctorates in 2008 and University of Cape Town awarded 11.4%.

Marius Roodt, one of the researchers commented that “other universities, especially historically-advantaged institutions, be supported to become centres of excellence in their own right, but not at the cost of already succcesful universities”

To read more go to the Sapa article on Times Live by Clicking Here!

Pupils from Model C schools doing better

The latest South Africa Survey recently released by the South African Institute for Race Relations have found amongst others that Model C schools (former whites-only schools) were still setting the pace for quality education. Race was found to be less important as a factor of scholastic achievement than the type of school a child attends. The matric rate for blacks in Model C schools in 2009 was 88%, compared to only 55% overall in all government schools. Coloured pupils in Model C schools achieved an 88 % pass rate compared to 76% overall while Indian pupils achieved 98 % compared to 92 % overall.

To read more go to Deon de Lange’s Mercury article on IOL by Clicking Here!

A controversy around the real SA matric pass rate

The real matric pass rate was only 36.2 % according to the South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR), and not 62,5 % as cited by the Minister of Education, Naledi Pandor.

The Institute’s South African Survey shows that in 2007 there were 920 716 pupils in Grade 11. Only 64 % of those pupils went on to write their matric examinations in 2008. Of these only 333 681 or 36.2 % of the original 2007 group passed matric in 2008.

To read the SAIRR’s 18 Jan 2009 press release on the matric pass rate Click Here!

To read an article on the matric pass rate in the Beeld, an Afrikaans newspaper Click Here!