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The overall condition of primary and secondary education in KwaZulu-Natal is far from favourable, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) reports in a series of nine provincial publications on this issue. Only 62% of Grade 12 learners passed the matriculation examination in 1996, placing KwaZulu-Natal fourth best of the nine provinces. The KwaZulu-Natal pass rate was third highest in the country for mathematics and physical science, seventh for English and lowest (ninth) for biology. The Third International Mathematics and Science Survey (TIMSS) results showed that KwaZulu-Natal scored below the national average for both mathematics and science at Grade 8 level and slightly above the national average at the Grade 7 level. None of the province's learners produced very high scores, but some did obtain very low scores. However, the Longitudinal Study on Scholastic Achievement ? which aims to provide information on the level of knowledge and understanding of mathematics, science and English at Grade 9 level ? showed that KwaZulu-Natal had the third best mean for mathematics and the fifth highest means for science and English in the country. The provincial reports provide information about an education database at individual school level and include data from several HSRC projects such as the School Register of Needs Survey, the Longitudinal Survey of Scholastic Achievement, the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Register of Graduates. The educational indicators included in this series of publications provide information on the condition of educational facilities and the extent of the educational provision. The availability of resources, materials, equipment and services is also discussed. Indicators of the outputs of the educational system are the matriculation results, the findings of the Longitudinal Survey of Scholastic Achievement in mathematics, science and English and the results of the TIMSS. "One of the most important factors that influence a country's ability to be economically competitive, is the quality of its human resources and therefore also of its education system", Mr Charles Sheppard, Director: Education and Training Information Systems at the HSRC said. He added that reliable and accessible information on education was increasingly becoming a prerequisite for informed decisions on policy and priorities in education. The School Register of Needs Survey ? constituting one of the most extensive data gathering and information analysis projects in the country that was conducted at 32 000 schools in 1996 ? revealed a rather bleak picture. Two of the districts in the province, Msinga and Nkandla, had an alarmingly high learner: classroom ratio of more than 60:1, while this ratio was generally high in about half of the province's districts. The learner: educator ratio was also fairly high in certain districts such as Nkandla where it was more than 50:1. Just under 25% of the schools in KwaZulu-Natal were deemed unsuitable for teaching. Classroom shortages were also severe in many districts, with three districts needing more than 700 classrooms and 14 needing between 400 and 700 classrooms. Textbooks and stationery were two of the resources that were better provided (although only adequate in a little more than half of the schools), while the percentage of schools that were completely without media equipment, media collections, materials and general equipment ranged from 78% to 89%. Other alarming findings concerned the number of schools that were without administrative furniture and the clear need for furniture for learners and educators. More than 200 000 desks and chairs needed in the province. About 75% of the schools in KwaZulu-Natal completely lacked specialised facilities, such as laboratories and libraries. Just under two-thirds of the schools had no telecommunication facilities and electricity, a third were without water, and approximately 10% had no toilet facilities. More than half of the schools used a pit latrine system. The HSRC also collected data on certain socio-economic variables, for example the availability of electricity, running water in the <strike>home</strike>, water-borne sewerage and a separate bedroom for the learner. The average ranking of these variables indicated that KwaZulu-Natal was in the fourth best position compared to the rest of the country. KwaZulu-Natal also had a fair percentage of over-age learners (i.e. three or more years older than the average for the grade, with the average for Grade 1 seven years), especially in the secondary grades where this figure varied between 17% and 21%. A comparison between the 1985 and 1994 data recorded in the HSRC's Register of Graduates revealed a lower number of white graduates and a higher number of African and Indian graduates in the province. It also showed an increase in management and medical sciences graduates, and a decrease in natural and human sciences graduates.
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