Availability of Educational Resources and Student Academic Performances in South Africa

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

The education system in South Africa is characterised by unequal education structures between the affluent and non-affluent schools, poor academic performance by learners and high drop-out rates. While educational expenditure has doubled over the years to support the non-affluent schools, educational outcomes have not followed suit. The affluent schools tend to perform at a much better rate on average, than non-affluent schools. Therefore, using the 2015 Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS, 2015), this paper analysed the factors that impact on student performance within the non-affluent schools, and further examined the effect of availability of educational resources on student academic outcomes. The study finds that educational resources have a significant impact on student performances. However, the magnitude of the impact is minute as compared to other factors such as school management, accountability, and student self-determination. Therefore, the study concludes that educational resources in isolation are not necessarily the key tool for tackling the broader educational outcomes but rather it is a combination of many factors, which may lead to improved educational outcomes in South Africa.