Category Archives: Education

Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education also follows a structured approach but occurs outside the formal schooling system, while informal education involves unstructured learning through daily experiences. Formal and non-formal education are categorized into levels, including early childhood education, primary education, secondary education, and tertiary education. Other classifications focus on teaching methods, such as teacher-centered and student-centered education, and on subjects, such as science education, language education, and physical education. Additionally, the term “education” can denote the mental states and qualities of educated individuals and the academic field studying educational phenomena.

Education in South Africa

Education in South Africa is governed by two national departments, namely the Department of Basic Education (DBE), which is responsible for primary and secondary schools, and the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), which is responsible for tertiary education and vocational training. Prior to 2009, both departments were represented in a single Department of Education.

Since 1994, South Africa has made great strides in realizing the right to education, rapidly building an efficient, accessible and quality education system for children and adolescents. This notable progress has been recorded across the three components of basic education in early childhood development, primary and secondary education:

The number of children under five attending an Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre or pre-school has increased to one in three from one in ten since 2002.

Primary school attendance is at 99 per cent – up some 3 per cent since 2002.

Secondary school attendance has increased to 90 per cent from 88 per cent in 2002, with notable gender parity.

Children with disabilities continue to be better included within the schooling system, now representing 5 per cent of the total population of children attending school.

In 2025, the South African literacy rate was 95%, and the second-highest on the African continent (after Seychelles).

The DBE department deals with public schools, private schools (also referred to by the department as independent schools), early childhood development (ECD) centres, and special needs schools. The public schools and private schools are collectively known as ordinary schools, which are roughly 97% of schools in South Africa. Unlike in most countries, many public schools charge tuition (referred to as fees). No-fee schools were introduced on a limited basis in 2007.

The DHET department deals with further education and training (FET) colleges now known as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, adult basic education and training (ABET) centres, and higher education (HE) institutions.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges
TVET Colleges in South Africa: There are 50 registered and accredited public TVET Colleges in South Africa which operate on approximately 364 campuses spread across the rural and urban areas of the country. To enrol at your nearest TVET College or find out more information, kindly visit tvetcollegesportal.co.za