Education without borders (ewb)

Education without Borders has focused its work on South African township schools, which exist in an education system that, for years, excluded them. During the apartheid (and pre-apartheid) era, very few black children had the opportunity to graduate from high school. Some of the teachers in township schools are still suffering from the effects of this discrimination.

The current significant challenges impacting learners include:

• Impoverished, overcrowded townships rife with crime and violence
• Overcrowded classes of up to 50 children per classroom
• A lack of jobs (approximately 50% youth unemployment) which means many formerly good learners are forced to turn to drugs and/or crime
• Inadequate technical aids and resources for teachers
• A significantly high drop-out rate between Grades 11 and 12, meaning many learners do not complete their schooling. Only 40% of learners in Grade 1 reach Grade 12.
• 25% of South Africa’s population live in urban townships
• South Africa is currently rated world wide as the most “unequal” country economically- 20%  of the population own 80% of the wealth.