Beyond Rivonia : transformative constitutionalism and the public education system

Abstract

The after effects of apartheid education are still felt acutely in our present education system. According to statistics released by the Department of Basic Education, one quarter of South African schools are overcrowded.1 This denotes a critical shortage of classrooms countrywide, particularly in the former black schools that continue to be overcrowded. Gauteng is not an exception to the nationwide norm. Former black schools in the province have average learnereducator ratios as high as 1:54 per class in comparison to former Model C schools2 with learner-educator ratios as low as 1:19 per class.