These are schools which are located in semi-urban areas in South Africa. Like their rural school counterparts they serve predominantly African learners. Prior to 1994, township schools were run by the former Department of Education and Training (DET). Although in these schools English is officially the medium of instruction from standard 3 upwards, research shows that much classroom teaching was in the L1 rather than in English. This was mainly because most African language teachers themselves lacked proficiency in English and still do, of excessively large classes, of unavailability of textbooks and resources in general, and inadequate teacher training to support the demands of English as a medium of instruction (Chisholm 2004:218).
Despite the vastly greater number of black learners enrolled in these schools their per capita expenditure is still lower than it is in former white schools. A related factor to this is the economically disadvantaged learners incapacity to afford school and examination fees. Education finance has a direct influence on the number of facilities that schools offer their learners. Learners in township schools have, in addition to shortage of classrooms, a critical shortage of textbooks. This, according to Desai (2004:49), is due to failure of learners to return books at the end of the year. According to NFT sub- committee, nearly 30 per cent of the textbooks are not returned at the end of the year (Desai 2004:49). There is very little doubt that learners studying in an environment which is without books and classrooms are bound to experience educational difficulties.
In 2003, according to the Human Sciences Research Council (2004:146), the learner- teacher ratio in some township schools was 60:1. According to van Zyl (2002:62), the high learner-teacher ratios in township schools came as a result of rapid urbanisation which caused very large squatter settlements mushrooming overnight. This means that suitable classrooms structures for such settlements have to be hurriedly provided for. According to Desai (2004), in the Western Cape the then Minister of Education was shocked to find a township school wherein one teacher had a class of 106 standard six learners. South
African township and rural schools are characterised by large classes with a pupil teacher ratio of 50:1. The teacher plays a central role in the classroom.
Many parents of learners in township schools favour the introduction of English as early as possible. This is mainly because of the low status of African languages and the obvious social and economic benefits of being fluent in English. Setati’s study (2000:45) suggests that school teachers in the townships are interpreting the exodus of pupils to former Model C schools as the parents’ desire for their children to learn English. These schools are therefore forced to introduce English as the medium of instruction earlier in order to meet the needs of parents who are unable to send their children to these schools. According to Setati (2000:46), teachers themselves perceive English as the language of power and socio- economic advancement in South Africa. Therefore using English as the language of learning is in the interest of their learners.
The language in education policy is applied differently in rural and township schools. They tend to phase in English in during the first four years of schooling, using both the learner’s indigenous language and English as medium of instruction. Evidence from recent studies suggests that despite the desegregation of white, Indian and coloured schools and significant demographic improvements over the last decade and a large number of learners being bussed from townships to suburban schools, the large majority of schools remain uni- or mono-cultural. This emerges most clearly when tracking trends in Gauteng during the period 1996 to 2002. Mda (2004:45) shows that in 2002, 74 per cent of learners in Gauteng were black, 18 per cent were white, and 4.9 per cent were Indians and only 0.2 per cent non-South Africans. According to Mda (2004:46), only 25 per cent of black learners have moved from former township schools to other departments since 1996. Of this number Mda (2004) claims, only 7 per cent are in former white schools.
The fact that more than 75 per cent of African learners are still in township schools means that improving the quality of education in township schools should be the governments’ top priority. Township schools still bear the brunt of the apartheid education legacy with its continued barriers to learning which include limited curricula, inadequate teaching and learning resources and a host of other constraints (HSRC 2004:210).
Comparative scores for maths, numeracy and literacy in South Africa are consistently among the worst in the world. Recent national tests showed that while some 65 per cent of 6th Grade learners in Model C schools performed at Grade 6 level which is not good, former DET schools performance was at 0.1 per cent (Block 2006:10). Recent scores showed that only 20 per cent of sixth graders could do maths at the appropriate grade level, with an average score of 27 per cent, and scored only 38 per cent in language of instruction. According to Block (2006:11), the average score for sixth grade maths in the lowest fee paying schools, where 72 per cent of learners are located, was 22 per cent. Only 5 per cent of these learners do higher grade maths and science for matric while the matric exemption rate in South Africa is static at 17 per cent (Block 2006:11).
Numbers of learners matriculating are no greater than in 1994, with similarly poor higher grade maths and university exemption passes. For example in 1994, the total number of matric exemptions was 18 per cent; in 1999 matric exemption dropped to 12 per cent. The number of learners passing maths and sciences improved marginally in 2004 (Block 2006:11). Most learners in township and rural schools are not effectively taught. This effects higher education as poor school results means poor university preparation and high dropout rates. When these learners gain access to universities they struggle to obtain academic support and adequate financing (Block 2006:14).
According to Block 2006 (16), 50 per cent of learners in township and rural schools do not make it through the schooling system and dropout before completion. One recent study claims that only 32 per cent of 2003 Grade 10 learners passed their examinations. It is for these reasons that the government has prioritised the improvement of the quality of teaching and learning ensuring that learners in township schools have access to key subjects such as mathematics, science and technology as well as the economic sciences. On the agenda is the improvement of these learners’ results at Grade 12 level (Chisholm 2004:100).
In terms of the norms and standards for school funding more money has been spent in these disadvantaged schools than during the apartheid era. Gauteng, which is most populous province in South Africa, is in a unique position as all eleven official languages are spoken in the province in addition to other European languages. These eleven official languages are therefore being taught mainly in township schools. Former Model C schools
offer mainly English and Afrikaans as first languages. One of the priorities within the coming year is the introduction of one African first language in these schools (Chisholm 2004:102).
An important project to develop all official languages in township schools is a short story competition in African languages sponsored by the Iwisa Maize Meal. The project is piloted in primary schools in Atteridgeville, Tshwane metro, with the winning stories being published and distributed to schools across the provinces and the royalties paid to teachers (Mda 2004:50).