Poor education will affect economy

By Tando Mfengwana
29 September 2006

Education minister Naledi Pandor says that the poor quality of education in South Africa will subsequently hurt the country's economy.

Business Report quotes the minister as saying that her department has doubled efforts to ensure the quality of education.

The South African economy has grown significantly throughout the past few years, but government wants even higher growth in order to tackle widespread unemployment and poverty.

A report from the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) criticized the government for failing to honour its commitment to deliver quality of education.

Sadtu referred to the HIV/Aids pandemic as a primary factor to the crisis in the education system.

The report says that 12. 7 percent of teachers are infected with HIV and an estimated 10 000 are in need of antiretroviral treatment.

Sadtu’s general secretary Thulas Nxesi is said to have called for school spending to be raised above the current six percent of gross domestic product.

The report says that the government has been accused of neglecting public schools, particularly schools in poor and black areas.