Education policy to prospects of a developmental state in South Africa

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The relevance of education to economic growth has been widely debated. The thesis argues that education is the core factor in knowledge and skills provision, which assist in production and economic growth and serves as a foundation to the realization of a developmental state. The thesis looks at the prospects of South Africa constructing a developmental state against its education system. The aim was to look at whether education policy in South Africa assists its quest to construct a developmental state.The research is guided by the specific research questions that wanted to look at different literature on what a developmental state is and what characterizes it. It further looked at whether education influences the construction of a developmental state and whether in South Africa education is responding well to the quest of constructing a developmental state.The study depends heavily on literature review, comparative study and interview. The literature study conceptualized and also presented characteristics of a developmental state from the perspective of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan (The Asian Tigers) and the South African context. Japan and South Korea's perspective was compared with the South African one. The literature review also indicated the role of education in economic growth.The findings of this research from the comparative analysis indicated that South Africa is taking a totally different approach in its process of constructing a developmental state. Its process is underpinned by democratic values, non-industrialization approach, weak bureaucracy and interventionist approach. The process of constructing a developmental state is supported by various mechanisms and policies such as the New Growth Path (NGP). The challenge with the NGP is that it conceded to the fact that there is a serious need to improve in education and levels of skills in the country as they are a fundamental prerequisite for achieving many of the goals in the growth path. The contention is that both basic and higher education must equip all South Africans to participate in the country's democracy and economy and must do more to meet the needs of national and international development imperatives. Again, the success of the NGP depends on major improvements in education (both basic and higher education) and skills levels which education is presently not providing. Education and skills are preconditions that should prepare South Africans to participate in economy so that the country should realize 'broad-based development through any means that will ensure economic growth. However, the education system and the skills based in the country are not responding well to assist in the fully realization of the NGP. This has negative effect to the prospects of growing the economy.The research highlights the relevance and role education plays in the economic development of a country. It highlights the challenge South Africa is faced with in its quest to construct a developmental state particularly with its education policies. With education being regarded as a significant propeller of economic growth, South Africa falls short in comparison to other countries, particularly the Asian Tigers. South Africa falls short mainly in the provision of education that provides the skills required in the modern economies. This means that there is a gap the education system in South Africa is failing to fill. Therefore the prospects of constructing in a developmental state in South Africa will continually face challenges if the education system within the country is not turned around to provide for the required skills.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University