Finding a 'correlation' between poor infrastructure and quality of education, an Equal Education report calls for education authorities to eradicate infrastructure backlogs.

The schooling sector still faces inherent challenges despite great efforts by the post-apartheid government to transform and expand schooling.

This is according to a report, "Schooling under Unusual Conditions: Research into how school infrastructure shapes teaching and learning in SA".

The 48-page report was released by Equal Education (EE) on Monday, 20 November 2023 in the run-up to 29 November 2023 - the 10th anniversary of the signing of norms and standards for public school infrastructure by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga.

Produced by EE's research and policy department, the report sought to examine the relationship between infrastructure and teaching and learning, using a nationally representative sample of individuals aged 20 and younger and drawn from the 2019 General Household Survey.

It says a review of the empirical literature shows that the physical conditions of schools, including classroom size, affect schooling outcomes, although the impact varies widely across contexts.

In the executive summary, the report says that nearly three decades into democracy, the post-apartheid government is still struggling to undo the inequalities in the schooling system that were created by the apartheid regime.

"In many ways, schooling in South Africa has improved as government policies ensure that all children in...