Dohne Damons
This week’s Career’s Corner podcast asks the question “Why does investing in your child’s education matter?”
Gugulethu Mfuphi and the Head of TDI at Kyalami Schools Group, Xolani Majola talk about the complexities of education in South Africa.
They discuss one question many parents often ask, “is private education better than public education?”
Majola says that to answer this question you have to understand the structure of education. Not all private schools are high-fee-paying schools and not all public schools are fee-paying schools. While offering his explanation he shares that high-paying-fees education doesn’t necessarily equal quality education.
He explains that there are public schools that offer education on par with private schools. These schools are usually schools that were formerly known as Model C schools. He further explains that the difference in access to educational resources is determined by the amount of fees paid. The higher the fees charged at schools the more resources will be available. This is one of the reasons private schools have higher fees. Another reason is that private schools are not subsidised.
The conversation also speaks to how inequality in the education system extends beyond the years the child spends at school. An additional advantage of sending your child to a private school offers the child future social circle opportunities that may offer future economic success.
But is the playing field leveled once a child finishes school and chooses to attend a university in South Africa regardless of whether they attended a private or public school?
Listen to the full discussion here:
Nor Read: “My girlfriend doesn’t want to go back home”: The Blind Spot
