The state of youth in South Africa: trends in education attainment

The focus of this paper is to provide an overview of the education attainment of the youth since their level of education impacts directly on their employability and life chances. The main age groups analysed include the 18 to 24 and 25 to 35 age cohorts. There is also a brief review of trends in the participation of the younger age groups in primary and secondary education since their participation rate and education attainment impacts on the youth. The current approach to education policy imperatives is reviewed in so far as they are particularly relevant to the education of the youth. This considers the major achievements attained by the South African education system, as well as identifying areas that still need focused attention to ensure that all South Africans have access to a good quality education that will prepare them for meaningful participation in the economy as well as society, thereby improving their quality of life.