The South African education system consists of three types of schools, namely: independent schools, government schools and government body-funded public schools.
Private schools in South Africa:
Private schools, which represent 5% of the school system, are attended mostly by children from middle and high-income families. These schools have an excellent reputation in South Africa and offer internationally recognised exams.
South Africa offers British-based education in well-established private schools. These schools are also known for generally having better facilities, smaller classes and a larger selection of extra-curricular activities. Parents are willing to pay anything from R18 000 to R40 000 a year for their children to get access to the best private school education.
Many parents opt for having their children educated at a private school because of the opportunities presented by these schools. The perception is that private schools encourage independent thought.
In South Africa, IEB matric results in 2015, showed that pupils achieved a 98.3% pass rate.
Statistics have also shown that private school-educated individuals often perform better at tertiary education level.
Other factors that make private schools popular among parents:
Accountability
Private Schools are independent schools, so these institutions often operate as a close-knit system.
Ability to select staff, curriculum and method of assessment
If there are under-qualified, or under-performing teachers, parents at a private school may wield a lot of influence on the future of these teachers at the school.
How to find a private school in South Africa:
You can visit School Finder (www.schoolfinder.co.za) which is South Africa’s most comprehensive school listing and comparison finder.
Founded by the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA), which is the largest association of independent schools in South Africa and the Southern African region, School Finder is a free listing service.
It has been developed to help parents and ISASA Schools to list and compare services, curriculum and detailed school information.
ISASA has a core a mission to articulate the value of independent education.