School Community Integration Pilot Project - Department of Education

A comparative analysis of education expenditure in Eastern Cape schools – November 2004
• The term ‘Lower’ Secondary Schools has the potential to cause confusion.
The type of school indicated here exists mostly in the former Ciskei areas of
the province and covers grades 8 to 10. In the ex-Ciskei these schools are
called junior secondary schools. They must not however be confused with
combined or junior secondary schools in the ex-Transkei, which cover grades
R to 9 and are much greater in number. Hence the term ‘lower’ secondary
school is used throughout this report. They are small schools with a LSR of
only 135. There are only 55 and many of these schools may well be phasing
out or converting progressively to full secondary schools. Typically for small
schools they have low LCRs and LERs.
• Senior Secondary Schools exist overwhelmingly in the former Transkei.
They are a significant part of the secondary system with 417 in total, more
than the number of secondary schools. They are smaller than average for
secondary schools. They have a low LER but a relatively high LCR, indicating
classroom backlogs.
• There is one Museum School in Port Elizabeth.
3.2.3. Public schools by education district
The table below sets out the main indicators by education district. A series of
conclusions on the geographical differences across the province can be drawn by
grouping the districts that have similar characteristics:
• Graaf Reinet, Cradock, Grahamstown, and Uitenhage mostly cover farming
areas from the former Cape Province. Fort Beaufort, Queenstown and
Sterkspruit are also mostly rural but also include former homeland areas. The
defining characteristic of these districts is the prevalence of small rural
schools. LERs and LCRs are low and similar, generally below 30 in both
cases, although with LCRs higher in the districts with former homeland areas.
• Port Elizabeth and East London are mostly urban districts. LERs and LCRs
are relatively favourable and similar in the range of 32 to 34, indicating a
good and matching level of both classroom and educator provisioning.
• Butterworth, Cofimvaba, Lady Frere, Engcobo, Idutywa, Mount Fletcher,
Qumbu, Maluti, Mount Frere and Umzimkulu cover the south-eastern and
northern areas of the former Transkei. The defining characteristic of these
districts is a high LCR due to classroom backlogs, but a relatively favourable
LER. LCRs range from 33.2 to 44.3 but are generally close to the provincial
average. LERs range from 28.6 to 34.5 but are mostly below the provincial
average. Schools in these districts generally have good educator provisioning
but despite progress still face significant classroom backlogs.
• Umtata, Libode, Lusikisiki and Bizana are the districts with some of the
deepest rural poverty in South Africa. Schools in these districts face major
resource challenges. LCRs range from 50 to 56.5 with LERs ranging from
34.5 to 38.6. Schools in these districts have to contend with serious
classroom backlogs. Educator provisioning is worse than for the rest of the
province but is still at levels that can provide teaching in manageable class
sizes.
One of the most significant features of the former Transkei education districts is the
wide variation between LCR and LER. While the LER is below 35:1 in 11 out of
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