Abstracts

96 on Scholastic’s PRIME math curriculum, which is based on the math standards used in Singapore, South Korea, and Hong Kong. Additionally, their literacy program is based on Britain’s literacy standards, physical education is incorporated into the school schedule to ensure healthy bodies and minds, and they incorporate a selection of secondary languages, including Zulu and Xhosa, into the curriculum in order to foster “social emotional learning” (SPARK Schools, 2020). While it is clear that these schools are private for a reason, the fact that South Africa spends such a significant proportion of their total GDP on education relates back to the greater question: If the funding is there, why are there so many inefficiencies and cracks in the system leading to extreme inequities and poor results? The approach to learning and the connections between teacher and student are what distinguish these high-performing low-cost schools from the public school system. The DBE in cooperation with the SADTU should study these learning incubators and apply key successful strategies to a larger scale in order to address some of the concerns this paper has laid out. Specifically, the way in which these schools offer longer schedules, smaller class sizes, instruction in a variety of languages, and a more effective curriculum needs to be studied to determine how these strategies can be brought to scale. Restructuring of Funding and Teacher Unions While the braindrain and teacher shortage continue to hamper the ability of the South African DBE from restructuring classroom dynamics and teaching methods, there are ways in which they can foster an environment that encourages smart, driven, and talented professionals to explore a teaching career. The government is overspending in the wrong areas. By way of example, the bureaucracy of the DOE is too large and therefore accumulating too much of the funding. If a portion of the budget could be diverted away from the overwhelmingly large bureaucracy and spent on improving the physical structures of public schools or ensuring classrooms are stocked with an appropriate number of textbooks, the school system would more accurately reflect the promising outcomes of the low-cost private/ charter schools, discussed previously. Not only would the classroom learning experience be enhanced with access to better resources, but also teachers would be more inclined to show up and pursue this important profession. There are additional concrete action items that DBE can implement in order to work toward solving the education problems facing the country. First, DBE must work to bridge the gap between themselves and SADTU in order to build cohesion and properly work on policy changes. Next, SADTU, as the dominant teachers union, should shift from an industrial union model to that of occupation unions in order to discourage party allegiance and better suit the real concerns teachers have. Professionalizing the SADTU in South Africa will provide access to better training and more say in curriculum decisions. In doing so, the DBE also must eliminate cadre deployment practices by holding those who adhere to corrupt practices accountable. Lastly, DBE must re-evaluate and fix the education and training programs for emerging primary school teachers, which could be achieved with the help of a newly structured South African teachers union. TEACH South Africa Expansion One initiative that could shift the future of education in a more positive direction would be an expansion of a TFA-style program that could be customized for South Africa. While there is an existing TFA-style program in South Africa known as TEACH South Africa (TSA), it is a smaller-scale operation. Given the current level of brain drain, with the brightest educated minds leaving the country to pursue professions abroad, the DBE should implement a program designed to encourage promising young leaders to stay. The premise of this recommendation is to mirror the scale and efficiency of TFA, while applying and tailoring it to the specific needs and wants of South Africa, in order to constitute a Teach for South Africa (TFSA) program. TFA has an impeccable track record and therefore has built a strong reputation within the United States. Over 29 years, they have