Post-School Education and Training Policies in South Africa: From 1994 to now

During apartheid, the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) system was deeply fragmented, unequal, and racially biased, with vast disparities in access, resources, and quality. Legislation, provision, and institutional structures explicitly enforced a racial demarcation between skilled and non-skilled workers. The transition to democracy presented an opportunity to transform the PSET sector. The new government aimed to create an inclusive, integrated education system that would meet the needs of a rapidly transforming economy, respond to the demands of a modern labour market, and promote social justice. Policy interventions were therefore required to address structural deficiencies, expand access, and improve quality. In this paper, we summarise some of the key post-apartheid PSET policies, evaluate what empirical evidence shows about progress in the sector, taking stock of key trends, and finally, discuss some of the challenges and tensions that remain.