Abstracts

90 Introduction South African citizens have a consti- tutional right to education, and their Bill of Rights mandates that the government must proactively ensure that education is available and accessible to all. However, beginning at the primary level and continuing into secondary education, a vast majority of South African children are being denied access to quality education within the state-run system. The goal of this article is to understand how public education functions within current South African society and the extent to which it has been shaped by the legacy of apartheid. More specifically, this article explores the policies and measures enacted within the South African public education system during the postapartheid era and how they have led to devastatinglyhighlevelsof educationinequality. Through examination and analysis of data and qualitative accounts, this article seeks to demonstrate how the inherent inequality and instability present in the current educational system have led to the country violating their own constitution. The government must recognize and then address the inefficiencies and lack of accountability within the system to ensure that quality education is available and accessible to all. The History of Postapartheid Education Under the South African apartheid regime, which controlled the country from 1948 until 1994, schools were strictly segregated based on race under the Bantu Education Act (Shepherd, 1955). Following the end of apartheid and the beginning of South African democracy, the Department of Education (DOE) published two white papers that shaped the foundation of the current education system. The White Paper on Education and Training (1995a) created the framework for a new education system that would break down the racial barriers erected SOUTH AFRICA’S EDUCATION DILEMMAS Hanna Skinner South Africa has made progress in attempting to address and alleviate the social barriers and systemic inequality born out of apartheid. However, the current education system continues to fail poorer students, thereby perpetuating class inequality. This article examines the issues most prevalent in South Africa’s public education system and provides possible solutions that can alleviate the high levels of disparity present. Perspectives on Business and Economics, Vol. 38, 2020