An overview of research, policy and practice in teacher supply and demand, 1994–2008

In 2008, South Africa had 400 953 educators, which included school teachers and principals. Were they adequate in number and quality for the 12 239 363 learners in ordinary public and independent schools? Is the country’s teacher education system sufficiently geared up to produce the teachers that are required and are sufficient numbers of students being attracted to teaching? How successful have government and union attempts to address specific teacher shortages since 1994 been? What has the contribution of research been in these areas?

These are the questions this monograph addresses. It does so by providing an overview and synthesis of the interventions, research and consequences of initiatives related to the demand for and supply of teachers since 1994. What the study shows is that in order to deal with shortages, a bold vision for sustained investment in teacher education is a first priority. This needs to be supported with measures that will not only attract young graduates to the teaching profession, but also retain them and their developed expertise.

This monograph is part of the Teacher Education in South Africa series. The series documents a wide-ranging set of research projects on teacher education conducted by the Education, Science and Skills Development research programme within the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), as part of a consortium of research partners. A comprehensive investigation of the dynamics shaping the professional development of educators, the series provides important reading for educationists, academics and policy-makers.