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South Africa

South Africa Education Stats

Definitions

  • Adult literacy rate > Female: Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life."
  • Adult literacy rate > Total: Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life."
  • Average years of schooling of adults: Average years of schooling of adults is the years of formal schooling received, on average, by adults over age 15. (Data Source: Barro-Lee Data Set www.worldbank.org/html/prdmg/grthweb/ddbarle2.htm)
  • Child care (preschool) > Duration: Number of years students study at the pre-primary (preschool) level. It should be noted that not all countries require pre-primary education.
  • Child care (preschool) > Starting age: Average age at which students begin pre-primary (preschool) education.
  • Child care (preschool) > Students per teacher: Number of students per teacher for pre-primary (preschool) education.
  • Children out of school > Primary: Children out of school are the number of primary-school-age children not enrolled in primary or secondary school.
  • Children out of school, primary: Children out of school, primary. Out-of-school children of primary school age. Total is the total number of primary-school-age children who are not enrolled in either primary or secondary schools.
  • Children out of school, primary per 1000: Children out of school, primary. Out-of-school children of primary school age. Total is the total number of primary-school-age children who are not enrolled in either primary or secondary schools. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • Children out of school, primary, female: Children out of school, primary, female. Out-of-school children of primary school age. Female is the total number of female primary-school-age children who are not enrolled in either primary or secondary schools.
  • Children out of school, primary, female per 1000: Children out of school, primary, female. Out-of-school children of primary school age. Female is the total number of female primary-school-age children who are not enrolled in either primary or secondary schools. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • Children out of school, primary, male: Children out of school, primary, male. Out-of-school children of primary school age. Male is the total number of male primary-school-age children who are not enrolled in either primary or secondary schools.
  • Children out of school, primary, male per 1000: Children out of school, primary, male. Out-of-school children of primary school age. Male is the total number of male primary-school-age children who are not enrolled in either primary or secondary schools. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • College and university > Gender parity index: Country's gender parity index for college and university enrollment. For countries with a rating of over 1, more females are enrolled while countries with a rating under 1 have more males enrolled.
  • College and university > Gender ratio: Ratio of female to male tertiary enrollment is the percentage of men to women enrolled at tertiary level in public and private schools.
  • College and university > Share of total education spending: Percentage of government education funding that goes to post-secondary education.
  • Compulsary education duration: Number of years students are required to be enrolled in school for all levels of education. For instance, compulsary education lasts for 12 years in the United States.
  • Compulsary education starting age: Age at which children must be enrolled in school.
  • Duration of compulsory education: Duration of compulsory education is the number of grades (or years) that a child must legally be enrolled in school.
  • Education enrolment by level > Tertiary level > Per capita: Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
  • Education enrolment by level > Tertiary level per 1000: . Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • Elementary (primary school) > Duration: Number of years students study at the primary level.
  • Elementary (primary school) > Starting age: Average age at which students begin primary education.
  • Elementary school graduate rate: Persistence to last grade of primary is the percentage of children enrolled in the first grade of primary school who eventually reach the last grade of primary education. The estimate is based on the reconstructed cohort method.
  • Government spending on education > Proportion of GDP: Percentage of public funding for education out of country's total GDP.
  • High school > Gender parity index: Country's gender parity index for secondary level enrollment. For countries with a rating of over 1, more females are enrolled while countries with a rating under 1 have more males enrolled.
  • High school > Gender ratio: Ratio of female to male secondary enrollment is the percentage of girls to boys enrolled at secondary level in public and private schools.
  • High school > Lower secondary school duration: Number of years students study at the lower secondary (middle school) level.
  • High school > Population with at least high school education > Women: Population with at least high school education > Women.
  • High school > Private school share: Percentage of secondary students who attend a private school.
  • High school > Students per teacher: Number of students per teacher for all levels of secondary education.
  • High school > Upper secondary school duration: Number of years students study at the upper secondary (high school) level.
  • High school enrolment rate: Progression to secondary school refers to the number of new entrants to the first grade of secondary school in a given year as a percentage of the number of students enrolled in the final grade of primary school in the previous year.
  • High school repeaters > Male: Repeaters in secondary school are the number of students enrolled in the same grade as in the previous year, as a percentage of all students enrolled in secondary school."
  • High school starting age > Years: Secondary school starting age is the age at which students would enter secondary education, assuming they had started at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, had studied full-time throughout and had progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade."
  • Literacy > Adult literacy: Adult literacy rate (%).
  • Literacy > Definition: This entry includes a definition of literacy and Census Bureau percentages for the total population, males, and females. There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Unless otherwise specified, all rates are based on the most common definition - the ability to read and write at a specified age. Detailing the standards that individual countries use to assess the ability to read and write is beyond the scope of our source. Information on literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is probably the most easily available and valid for international comparisons.
  • Literacy > Female: This entry includes a definition of literacy and Census Bureau percentages for the total population, males, and females. There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Unless otherwise specified, all rates are based on the most common definition - the ability to read and write at a specified age. Detailing the standards that individual countries use to assess the ability to read and write is beyond the scope of our source. Information on literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is probably the most easily available and valid for international comparisons.
  • Literacy > Female literates > Aged 15-19 per thousand people: Number of females aged 15-19 years, who are literate. Figures expressed per thousand people for the same year.
  • Literacy > Female literates > Aged over 10 per thousand people: Number of females older than 10 years, who are literate. Figures expressed per thousand people for the same year.
  • Literacy > Male: This entry includes a definition of literacy and Census Bureau percentages for the total population, males, and females. There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Unless otherwise specified, all rates are based on the most common definition - the ability to read and write at a specified age. Detailing the standards that individual countries use to assess the ability to read and write is beyond the scope of our source. Information on literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is probably the most easily available and valid for international comparisons.
  • Literacy > Total population: This entry includes a definition of literacy and Census Bureau percentages for the total population, males, and females. There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Unless otherwise specified, all rates are based on the most common definition - the ability to read and write at a specified age. Detailing the standards that individual countries use to assess the ability to read and write is beyond the scope of our source. Information on literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is probably the most easily available and valid for international comparisons.
  • Literacy rate > People aged 15-24: Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life."
  • Preschool enrollment rate: Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Primary education provides children with basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills along with an elementary understanding of such subjects as history, geography, natural science, social science, art, and music."
  • Primary education > Teachers > Per capita: Primary education teachers includes full-time and part-time teachers. Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
  • Primary education, duration > Years: Primary education, duration (years). Duration of primary is the number of grades (years) in primary education.
  • Primary education, pupils: Primary education, pupils. Enrolment in primary. Public and private. All programmes. Total is the total number of students enrolled in public and private primary education institutions.
  • Primary education, pupils per 1000: Primary education, pupils. Enrolment in primary. Public and private. All programmes. Total is the total number of students enrolled in public and private primary education institutions. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • Primary education, teachers: Primary education, teachers. Teaching staff in primary. Public and private. Full and part-time. All programmes. Total is the total number of teachers in public and private primary education institutions. Teachers are persons employed full time or part time in an official capacity to guide and direct the learning experience of pupils and students, irrespective of their qualifications or the delivery mechanism, i.e. face-to-face and/or at a distance. This definition excludes educational personnel who have no active teaching duties (e.g. headmasters, headmistresses or principals who do not teach) and persons who work occasionally or in a voluntary capacity in educational institutions.
  • Primary education, teachers per 1000: Primary education, teachers. Teaching staff in primary. Public and private. Full and part-time. All programmes. Total is the total number of teachers in public and private primary education institutions. Teachers are persons employed full time or part time in an official capacity to guide and direct the learning experience of pupils and students, irrespective of their qualifications or the delivery mechanism, i.e. face-to-face and/or at a distance. This definition excludes educational personnel who have no active teaching duties (e.g. headmasters, headmistresses or principals who do not teach) and persons who work occasionally or in a voluntary capacity in educational institutions. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • Public spending per student > Primary level: Public expenditure per student, primary level is the total reported current spending by the government on primary education, divided by the total number of pupils in primary education, expressed as a percentage of per capita GDP.
  • Pupil-teacher ratio > Primary: Primary school pupil-teacher ratio is the number of pupils enrolled in primary school divided by the number of primary school teachers (regardless of their teaching assignment).
  • Pupil-teacher ratio, primary: Pupil-teacher ratio, primary. Pupil-teacher ratio. Primary is the number of pupils enrolled in primary school divided by the number of primary school teachers.
  • Pupil-teacher ratio, secondary: Pupil-teacher ratio, secondary. Pupil-teacher ratio. Secondary is the number of pupils enrolled in secondary school divided by the number of secondary school teachers.
  • Pupil-teacher ratio, secondary per million: Pupil-teacher ratio, secondary. Pupil-teacher ratio. Secondary is the number of pupils enrolled in secondary school divided by the number of secondary school teachers. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • School life expectancy > Total: School life expectancy and transition from primary to secondary for school years 1998/99 and 1999/00, published in http://www.uis.unesco.org accessed on Sept. 2002 and Women's Indicators and Statistics Database (Wistat), Version 4, CD-ROM (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.00.XVII.4) based on data provided by UNESCO in 1999.
  • Schools connected to the Internet: Schools connected to the Internet are the share of primary and secondary schools in the country that have access to the Internet.
  • Scientific and technical journal articles: Scientific and technical journal articles refer to the number of scientific and engineering articles published in the following fields: physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, clinical medicine, biomedical research, engineering and technology, and earth and space sciences.
  • Scouting > Genders admitted: Admits boys/girls.
  • Secondary education > General pupils: Secondary general pupils are the number of secondary students enrolled in general education programs, including teacher training.
  • Secondary education > Teachers > Per capita: Secondary education teachers includes full-time and part-time teachers. Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
  • Secondary education, duration > Years: Secondary education, duration (years). Duration of secondary education is the number of grades (years) in secondary education (ISCED 2 & 3).
  • Secondary education, general pupils: Secondary education, general pupils. Enrolment in total secondary. Public and private. General programmes. Total is the total number of students enrolled in general programmes at public and private secondary education institutions.
  • Secondary education, pupils: Secondary education, pupils. Enrolment in total secondary. Public and private. All programmes. Total is the total number of students enrolled at public and private secondary education institutions.
  • Secondary education, pupils per 1000: Secondary education, pupils. Enrolment in total secondary. Public and private. All programmes. Total is the total number of students enrolled at public and private secondary education institutions. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • Secondary education, teachers: Secondary education, teachers. Teaching staff in total secondary. Public and private. Full and part-time. All programmes. Total is the total number of teachers in public and private secondary education institutions (ISCED 2 and 3). Teachers are persons employed full time or part time in an official capacity to guide and direct the learning experience of pupils and students, irrespective of their qualifications or the delivery mechanism, i.e. face-to-face and/or at a distance. This definition excludes educational personnel who have no active teaching duties (e.g. headmasters, headmistresses or principals who do not teach) and persons who work occasionally or in a voluntary capacity in educational institutions.
  • Secondary education, teachers per 1000: Secondary education, teachers. Teaching staff in total secondary. Public and private. Full and part-time. All programmes. Total is the total number of teachers in public and private secondary education institutions (ISCED 2 and 3). Teachers are persons employed full time or part time in an official capacity to guide and direct the learning experience of pupils and students, irrespective of their qualifications or the delivery mechanism, i.e. face-to-face and/or at a distance. This definition excludes educational personnel who have no active teaching duties (e.g. headmasters, headmistresses or principals who do not teach) and persons who work occasionally or in a voluntary capacity in educational institutions. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • Secondary school starting age > Years: Secondary school starting age (years). Entrance age of 2A lower secondary is the age at which students would enter lower secondary education, assuming they had started at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, had studied full-time throughout and had progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade.
  • Spending > Proportion: Education expenditure refers to the current operating expenditures in education, including wages and salaries and excluding capital investments in buildings and equipment. Expressed as a proportion of GNI."
  • Spending > USD: Education expenditure refers to the current operating expenditures in education, including wages and salaries and excluding capital investments in buildings and equipment."
  • Spending per student > Elementary school: Public expenditure per student is the public current spending on education divided by the total number of students by level, as a percentage of GDP per capita. Public expenditure (current and capital) includes government spending on educational institutions (both public and private), education administration as well as subsidies for private entities (students/households and other privates entities)."
  • Spending per student > High school: Public expenditure per student is the public current spending on education divided by the total number of students by level, as a percentage of GDP per capita. Public expenditure (current and capital) includes government spending on educational institutions (both public and private), education administration as well as subsidies for private entities (students/households and other privates entities)."
  • Tertiary > Students studying abroad: Total number of post-secondary students who were studying abroad during given year.
  • Tertiary enrollment: Gross enrolment ratio, tertiary level is the sum of all tertiary level students enrolled at the start of the school year, expressed as a percentage of the mid-year population in the 5 year age group after the official secondary school leaving age.
STAT AMOUNT DATE RANK HISTORY
Adult literacy rate > Female 88.1 2008 59th out of 110
Adult literacy rate > Total 89 2008 58th out of 110
Average years of schooling of adults 6.1 2000 50th out of 100
Child care (preschool) > Duration 1 2012 195th out of 204
Child care (preschool) > Starting age 6 2012 1st out of 204
Child care (preschool) > Students per teacher 23.51 1996 26th out of 80
Children out of school > Primary 568,936 2004 17th out of 121
Children out of school, primary 656,487 2012 6th out of 64
Children out of school, primary per 1000 12.82 2012 23th out of 64
Children out of school, primary, female 320,723 2012 9th out of 55
Children out of school, primary, female per 1000 6.27 2012 22nd out of 55
Children out of school, primary, male 335,764 2012 5th out of 55
Children out of school, primary, male per 1000 6.56 2012 21st out of 55
College and university > Gender parity index 0.913 1994 48th out of 95
College and university > Gender ratio 91.28 1994 50th out of 83
College and university > Share of total education spending 11.88% 2010 91st out of 109
Compulsary education duration 9 2012 56th out of 109
Compulsary education starting age 7 2012 5th out of 109
Duration of compulsory education 9 years 2000 73th out of 159
Primary completion rate 99 2004 42nd out of 144
Education enrolment by level > Primary level 7.47 million 2002 15th out of 173
Education enrolment by level > Tertiary level 675,160 2002 31st out of 130
Education enrolment by level > Tertiary level > Per capita 14.9 per 1,000 people 2002 82nd out of 125
Education enrolment by level > Tertiary level per 1000 14.83 2002 83th out of 128
Education expenditure of government > As percentage of GNI 5.5% 2005 17th out of 51
Education expenditure of government > As percentage of total government 17.9% 2005 18th out of 47
Elementary (primary school) > Duration 7 2012 12th out of 212
Elementary (primary school) > Starting age 7 2012 14th out of 212
Elementary school graduate rate 76.98 2003 66th out of 97
Girls to boys ratio > Primary level enrolment 0.96 2004 119th out of 178
Girls to boys ratio > Secondary level enrolment 1.07 2004 28th out of 171
Girls to boys ratio > Tertiary level enrolment 1.22 2005 41st out of 96
Government spending on education > Proportion of GDP 5.96% 2010 28th out of 115
High school > Gender parity index 1.05 2009 33th out of 143
High school > Gender ratio 104.66 2007 34th out of 142
High school > Lower secondary school duration 2 2012 192nd out of 205
High school > Population with at least high school education > Women 68.9% 2010 57th out of 155
High school > Private school share 4.11% 2012 47th out of 64
High school > Students per teacher 25.05 2009 18th out of 109
High school > Upper secondary school duration 3 2012 68th out of 205
High school enrolment rate 93.52 2006 57th out of 103
High school repeaters > Male 14.64 2004 17th out of 109
High school starting age > Years 14 2009 3rd out of 176
Illiteracy rates by sex > Aged 15+ 13.6% 2003 68th out of 138
Illiterate population by sex > Aged 15+ 4.05 million 2003 27th out of 138
Literacy > Adult literacy 88% 2007 63th out of 110
Literacy > Definition age 15 and over can read and write 2003
Literacy > Female 85.7% 2003 82nd out of 157
Literacy > Female literates > Aged 15-19 per thousand people 49.69 1996 4th out of 6
Literacy > Female literates > Aged over 10 per thousand people 324.47 1996 4th out of 5
Literacy > Male 87% 2003 94th out of 157
Literacy > Total population 86.4% 2003 92nd out of 161
Literacy rate > People aged 15-24 96.8 2008 56th out of 111
Literacy rates > Aged 15-24 93.9% 1996 5th out of 8
Preschool enrollment rate 104.54 2007 77th out of 158
Primary education > Teachers > Per capita 4.51 per 1,000 people 2004 77th out of 146
Primary education, duration > Years 7 2012 11th out of 200
Primary education, pupils 7 million 2012 6th out of 88
Primary education, pupils per 1000 136.83 2012 37th out of 88
Primary education, teachers 237,429 2012 6th out of 76
Primary education, teachers per 1000 4.64 2012 34th out of 76
Public spending per student > Primary level 14 2002 35th out of 70
Pupil-teacher ratio > Primary 35.64 2004 33th out of 147
Pupil-teacher ratio, primary 29.5 2012 31st out of 76
Pupil-teacher ratio, secondary 25.05 2009 18th out of 105
Pupil-teacher ratio, secondary per million 0.508 2009 85th out of 105
School life expectancy > Total 14.1 years 2002 27th out of 110
Schools connected to the Internet 26.5% 2002 24th out of 26
Scientific and technical journal articles 2,364 2003 34th out of 92
Scouting > Genders admitted both 2014
Secondary education > General pupils 4.32 million 2004 17th out of 157
Secondary education > Teachers > Per capita 3.22 per 1,000 people 2004 94th out of 127
Secondary education, duration > Years 5 2012 175th out of 197
Secondary education, general pupils 4.6 million 2012 4th out of 85
Secondary education, pupils 4.84 million 2012 5th out of 73
Secondary education, pupils per 1000 94.63 2012 20th out of 73
Secondary education, teachers 187,162 2009 21st out of 105
Secondary education, teachers per 1000 3.79 2009 79th out of 105
Secondary school starting age > Years 14 2012 3rd out of 196
Spending > Proportion 5.14 2008 45th out of 168
Spending > USD 13.74 billion 2008 27th out of 154
Spending per student > Elementary school 13.69 2008 20th out of 39
Spending per student > High school 16 2008 18th out of 32
Tertiary > Students studying abroad 6,268.93 2011 99th out of 203
Tertiary enrollment 15.2% 2000 60th out of 96

SOURCES: United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics.; UNESCO; UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Source tables; UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Source tables; UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Source tables; World Development Indicators database; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Source tables; UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Source tables; UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Source tables; Source: UNESCO UIS Data | UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Source: UNESCO UIS Data | UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Source tables; UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Source tables; UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Source tables; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Source tables; United Nations Development Programme. Source tables; UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Source tables; UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Source tables; UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Source tables; World Health Organization. Source tables; CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011; Source tables. Population by literacy, age, sex and urban/rural residence. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Number of females older than 10 years, who are literate.. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Wikipedia: List of World Organization of the Scout Movement members (Table of World Organization of the Scout Movement members); World Bank staff estimates using data from the United Nations Statistics Division's Statistical Yearbook, and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics online database.; UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Source tables

Citation

  • South Africa ranked first for primary education, duration > years amongst Emerging markets in 2012.
  • South Africa ranked first for high school starting age > years amongst Christian countries in 2009.
  • South Africa has had the highest child care (preschool) > starting age since 1999.
  • South Africa ranked first for spending > USD amongst Sub-Saharan Africa in 2008.
  • South Africa ranked #4 for secondary school starting age > years globally in 2012.

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