Going to school hungry, navigating unsafe neighbourhoods and facing gangsterism and bullying are daily realities for many pupils in the Western Cape, and they are taking a measurable toll on learning outcomes.
A school evaluation report unique to the Western Cape reveals that about five in 10 primary and secondary schools across eight districts in the province are underachieving, exposing deep inequalities in the basic education system.
On Tuesday, the province’s Schools Evaluation Authority tabled its 2024/25 annual report before the Western Cape provincial standing committee on education for the first time, a milestone aimed at strengthening accountability through independent school assessments.
The Western Cape has 1,468 public ordinary schools and 73 special needs education schools, serving more than 1.2-million pupils. The authority’s mandate is to evaluate schools independently, identify areas of weakness and recommend targeted improvements.
Chief evaluator David J. Millar said poverty should never be used to justify failure, even as it remains a defining feature of many pupils’ lives.
“It is children who are socio-economically deprived, and who face an almost constant threat of gangsterism, crime and hunger, who need schools the most,” he said.
The report paints a stark picture of uneven performance. While some schools, even in poorer communities, demonstrate strong teaching and leadership, others lag far behind. The gap is particularly evident in quintile 1 to 3 schools, where pockets of excellence exist alongside schools struggling to deliver basic quality education.
Among the most concerning findings are weak teaching practices and low expectations. The report highlights insufficient active teaching, over-reliance on textbooks, poor-quality and inconsistent marking, and limited opportunities for pupils to develop critical thinking and writing skills.
In some schools, absent pupils are not required to catch up on missed work, while teacher feedback is minimal or ineffective.
At some schools, learners are unprepared for learning, undisciplined, and teaching quality is poor, with weak management and leadership. Where results are poor, leadership is often a key factor
— Chief evaluator David J. Millar
A lack of strong leadership continues to plague many schools. The report found a clear link between weak management, poor teaching quality and low learner achievement. In contrast, schools that perform well are often led by assertive, curriculum-focused principals who promote accountability and a culture of excellence.
“At some schools, learners are unprepared for learning, undisciplined, and teaching quality is poor, with weak management and leadership,” Millar said. “Where results are poor, leadership is often a key factor.”
Despite these challenges, there are signs of progress. Some schools have implemented effective peer observation models and structured classroom visits that support teacher development and improve outcomes.
Still, overall progress towards equitable, quality education remains slow. The authority escalated 29 cases to the MEC for education, while eight schools formally appealed against their draft evaluations.
The report recommends that continuous school improvement be embedded across the system, with stronger accountability from principals and governing bodies. Schools are expected to submit improvement plans endorsed by staff and school governing bodies, and to demonstrate measurable impact on learner outcomes.
Western Cape provincial minister of education David Maynier welcomed the report, saying monitoring and evaluation play a critical role in guiding policy decisions. He also acknowledged the work of the Schools Evaluation Authority in driving accountability.
But the findings make clear that systemic challenges, from poverty and safety to leadership and teaching quality, continue to shape the realities of classrooms across the province.
“Achieving this vision requires a sustained focus on improving outcomes for every child, particularly those whose daily lives are marked by deprivation,” said Millar. “There is still much to be done.”
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