Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Education
in the Faculty of Humanities
at the
University of the Witwatersrand,
September 2016The research investigates the contribution of the low-fee private school sector towards access
to quality education by examining two models of low-fee private schools in the Gauteng
province, South Africa. The study generates insights about the contribution to quality
education and implications of a growing low-fee private school sector for equity in the South
African context. It looks at the factors that encourage the growth of the sector, the nature and
challenges of running private schools and the quality of education offered by low-fee private
schools.
The study uses an exploratory qualitative research methodology and a case study design.
Elite interviews with three experts; three founding directors; principals and two teachers from
two low-fee private schools (one non-profit and the other one for-profit) in Bramley,
Johannesburg were used as data collection instruments.
The findings reveal that government support for private schools post-1994; excess demand
due to middle class population growth in certain areas and differentiated demand owed to
better quality and faith-based education are the key factors driving the growth of the private
school sector in South Africa. The quality of education offered by low-fee private schools in
South Africa is different across schools and mirrors the inequalities in the public school
system. With reference to the literature, it is clear that the low-fee private school sector plays
a noteworthy role, ensuring that some learners have access to schools in areas where
government has not been able to keep up with the middle class population growth. Low-fee
private schools give parents the opportunity to choose faith-based schools in a country where
the public education system is faith-neutral. Although low-fee private schools are viewed as
an alternative from public schools due to the poor quality offered by the latter, it is important
to note that there are great differences with the quality offered by different schools in the
private sector.MT201
