Education Indicators

Education indicators
Core indicators
Policy goal Indicator and Definition, measure, period and data source
reason for use
Improve and Type 1 & 5 Definition: Pass mark for Grade 9; literacy and numeracy
monitor child Indicators: Child assessments of grades 3 and 6.
educational Status and Service Measure 1: Proportion of learners passing Grade 9 or
performance and Quality learners who pass the Grade 9 common tasks of
outcomes Learner achievement assessment.
in terms of tests and Source: Department of Education (DoE)
portfolio. Measure 2: Proportion of grades 3 and 6 learners who are
Reason for use: able to perform adequately on grades 3 and 6 systemic
Achievement evaluations (recommended that the Western Cape
measures are approach be adopted).
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important in Source: Systemic evaluations conducted by provincial
establishing the DoE.
effectiveness of Period: Annual
schools in promoting
teaching and
learning.

Type 1 Indicator: Definition: Children of the appropriate age (7–15 years)
Child Status who are not enrolled in school.
Learner dropout Measure: The proportion of children who drop out of
rates school between grades R and 9. (Denominator: enrolled
Reason for use: population 7–15 years in grades R–9.)
Education Note: Education is compulsory from ages 7–15 years.
deprivation is an However, children may enrol in the year in which they
important human turn 6 provided this is prior to July of that year. Normally
capital indicator, and the denominator would be children aged 7–15 years.
provides information Sources: DoE Education Management Information
on the impact of Systems (EMIS) Annual Schools Survey; SNAP Survey.
children’s Period: Annual
environment on their
access to schooling.
Type 1 Indicator: Definition: Proportion of learners enrolled in a given
Child Status grade in a given school year who study in the same grade
Learner repetition the following school year.
rates Measure: The proportion of children who repeat grades
Reason for use: To (by grade, age and gender). (Denominator: enrolled
assess efficiency in population 7–15 years in grades 1–9.)
the system related to Source: DoE EMIS Annual Schools Survey
access. Period: Annual ➔

core education indicators • 413

reason for use
➔ Type 5 Indicator: Definition: Cohort of pupils who enrolled in the first
Service Quality grade of an education cycle in a given school year and who
Learner survival rates reach a given grade without repeating a grade.
Reason for use: Measure: The proportion of children who reach a given
Children may repeat grade without repeating a grade. (Denominator: the
grades for a number number of children in the cohort at Grade 1.)
of reasons. Low Sources: DoE EMIS Annual Schools Survey; SNAP Survey.
survival rates may Period: Annual
indicate the need for
learners to access
support.
Protect children Type 5 Indicator: Definition: The school has a policy that is available in
from violence. Service Quality print and which is known and understood by all educators
Promote the The existence, and learners.
creation of safe, operationalisation Measure: Proportion of schools which have each of the

facilitative learning and effectiveness of aforementioned policies in place.
environments. policies for safety and Sources: DoE; South African Council of Education.
security, sexual Period: Annual
harassment, orphans
and vulnerable
children, and
learners’ and
educators’ codes of
conduct.
Reason for use: To
monitor quality of
the learning
environment.
Improve the Type 5 Indicator: Definition: Printed material supplied to the school to
quality of the Service Quality support teachers in enacting the curriculum.
learning Availability and use Measure: Proportion of schools which have textbooks and
environment. of textbooks and learning support materials available.
learning support Sources: DoE EMIS; provincial policy documents to DoE
materials. on procurement; School Register of Needs Survey.
Reason for use: To Period: Annual
monitor quality of
the learning
environment. ➔

414 • monitoring child well-being

reason for use
➔ Type 5 Indicator: Definition: Schools with libraries, school halls, staffroom,
Service Quality head’s office, sports area or playground, school garden,
Availability and use piped water, well or borehole, electricity, telephone, first-
of physical resources. aid kit, fax machine, typewriter or computer, duplicator,
Reason for use: To radio, tape recorder, overhead projector, television set,
monitor quality of photocopier, toilet, laboratories, fences. Most appropriate
the learning resources to be selected.
environment. Measure: Proportion of schools which have physical
resources available.
Sources: DoE EMIS; provincial policy documents to DoE
on procurement; School Register of Needs Survey.
Period: Annual

Type 5 Indicator: Definition: Total public expenditure on education at every
Service Quality level of administration according to the Constitution of
Public expenditure as the country, i.e. central, regional and local authorities

a percentage of Gross expressed as a percentage of GDP.
Domestic Product Measure: Spending on General Education and Training
(GDP). as % of overall budget. (Denominator: the budgetary
Reason for use: To amount allocated to different programmes.)
monitor quality of Sources: National Treasury; Medium Term Expenditure
the learning Framework; Personnel Salary System (PERSAL).
environment. Period: Annual
A rights-based
approach requires
that education
spending be
monitored so as to
track changes in the
supply of resources
to support the right
to education.


reason for use
Monitor and Type 4 Indicator: Definition: 1. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) refers to
improve access to Service Access the number of pupils enrolled in a given level of
education. Gross enrolment by education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of
Monitor equity in race, gender and the population in the relevant official age group.
education. disability. 2. GET = General Education & Training (grades 1–9).
Reason for use: To 3. FET = Further Education & Training (grades 10–12).
monitor previously 4. Gender Parity Index (GPI) is the ratio of female-to-
disadvantaged male value of a given indicator.
groups’ access to Measures: 1. GER: Pupils in primary or secondary
education. As part of schools/the school age population for primary or
efforts to monitor secondary level x 100.
access, the impact of 2. GER for GET: Measured by dividing total GET school
fees and compulsory population by the population of 7–15 year olds.
uniforms as barriers 3. GER for FET: Measured by dividing total FET school
to access must also be population by the population of 16–18 year olds.
monitored on a 4. GPI can then be derived by dividing the total number of

regular basis. learners, GET and FET respectively, by the total
populations aged 7–15 and 16–18 years in each case.
Denominator for GET and FET levels is the school age
population. All data should be disaggregated by gender,
race and disability.
Source: DoE EMIS Annual Schools Survey
Period: Annual
Type 4 Indicator: Definition: Net Enrolment Ratio refers to the number of
Service Access learners in the official age group for a given level of
Net enrolment by education who attend school in that level, expressed as a
race, gender and percentage of the total population in that age group.
disability. Measures: 1. Proportion of primary school age learners
Reason for use: enrolled in primary school. (Denominator: the school
It is important to age population for primary level.)
monitor whether 2. Proportion of secondary school age learners enrolled in
previously secondary school. (Denominator: the school age
disadvantaged groups population for secondary level.)
have equal access to Disaggregated by race, gender and disability.
education. Source: DoE EMIS Annual Schools Survey
Period: Annual


reason for use
Improve the Type 5 Indicator: Definition: The child is taught in the first language in the
quality of Service Quality Foundation Phase (grades R–3).
education. Language of Measure: The proportion of children in the designated
instruction and grades who are instructed in their home language.
home language. Sources: DoE EMIS Annual Schools Survey; SNAP Survey.
Reason for use: Period: Annual
Instruction in the
child’s home
language determines
whether learners are
able to understand
and engage with
educational material.
Type 5 Indicator: Definition: Average number of learners per educator at the
Service Quality level of education specified in a given school year. The

Educator–learner calculation of the ratio is based on educators and learners
ratios expressed as a Full-Time Equivalent.
Reason for use: Measure: Proportion of schools that meet
Overcrowded educator–learner norms.
classrooms are not Sources: Education Labour Relations Council; DoE EMIS
conducive to Annual Schools Survey.
teaching and Period: Annual
learning.
Type 5 Indicator: Definition: Relevant levels of tertiary certification.
Service Quality Measure: Proportion of educators who are qualified to
Educator teach at the level they are teaching.
qualifications Sources: South African Council on Higher Education;
Reason for use: EMIS; PERSAL.
Qualified educators Period: Annual
are more likely to
provide high-quality
education and
promote positive
child educational
outcomes.


reason for use
Increase the Type 1 & 4 Definition: Orphan school attendance ratio is the ratio of
numbers of Indicators: Child (1) orphans’ school attendance to (2) non-orphans’ school
orphans attending Status and Service attendance.
school and provide Access Measures: The ratio of orphaned children aged 10–14
support for schools Orphan school compared to non-orphaned children aged 10–14 who are
with affected attendance ratio. currently attending school.
children. Reason for use: This 1. Orphans’ school attendance (%)
indicator assesses Numerator 1: Number of children who have lost one or
progress in both parents and are attending school.
preventing relative Denominator 1: number of children who have lost one or
disadvantage in both parents.
school attendance Alternatively, vulnerable children (children whose parents
among orphans are chronically ill or whose households have experienced
versus non-orphans. the death of an adult, or whose households contain a
chronically ill adult) can be included in the numerator of
the ratio.

2. Non-orphans’ school attendance (%)
Numerator 2: Number of children who are not orphans
(according to the above definition) who live with at least
one parent and who are attending school.
Denominator 2: Number of children whose parents are
both still alive and who live with at least one parent.
Source: DoE EMIS
Period: Annual
Note: As stated by UNICEF (2005b), the definition of
orphans and vulnerable children has been developed to
define a proxy indicator for children made vulnerable by
AIDS and should only be used in purposive studies
conducted in contexts within which the prevalence of HIV
is high. This is the only context in which a ratio of the
kind used here might be meaningful.


Education Indicators

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