Research report, "Schooling under unusual conditions: Research into how school infrastructure shapes teaching and learning in South Africa", that takes a closer look at the relationship between the physical conditions of the school environment and teaching and learning. The report examines how school infrastructure shapes teaching and learning, and how addressing infrastructure conditions can improve learning outcomes.

Almost 30 years into democracy and 10 years since Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga signed the Norms and Standards for Public School Infrastructure (school infrastructure law) into law, government continues to struggle to ensure that all learners have access to quality schooling. Despite some progress towards this, the country is still experiencing a learning crisis and many schools are still contending with unacceptable physical conditions such as overcrowded classrooms, schools built with unsafe materials, dilapidated toilet facilities and unclean water.

Key findings from the report show that not having enough classrooms, having classrooms with too many learners (overcrowded classrooms), and having facilities in poor condition harms the motivation of both learners and teachers. Overcrowded classrooms make it more likely that teachers and learners are regularly absent from school. Having poor school infrastructure conditions affects the quality of teachers' teaching and performance, as well as their general attitude towards their job. This indirectly impacts the schooling experience of learners and learning outcomes.

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