The connection between poverty and lack of education seems entirely self-evident, yet real progress in overcoming the obstacles to education and economic affluence has eluded governments and social activists worldwide for decades. This book interrogates the link between education and poverty reduction and highlights the role of cross-sectoral co-ordination and policy coherence in breaking the poverty trap.
The book has four sections. Section 1 examines various conceptual and theoretical frameworks in the discourse on policy coherence and looks at how research can impact on policy. Section 2 deals with poverty in higher education, showing how student income sources such as bursaries and loans, as well as higher education funding policies, create obstacles to access and favour more middle-class students. Section 3 explores the links between education and social development, educational infrastructure and learner performance, and offers practical suggestions for improving the impact of learner feeding programmes, school-based support for children at risk and infrastructure development on combating poverty at the local level. Section 4 offers a set of case studies of local and international best practice in the spheres of college education, state and business partnerships in educational enterprises, and media in education. The final section offers inspirational biographies of hope by people who have pulled themselves out of the poverty trap.
Highly relevant for policy-makers, researchers, education practitioners, development professionals and activists in non-governmental organisations, this book offers some practical answers to crucially important questions.
The colloquium on Education and poverty reduction strategies: Issues of policy coherence held from 2123 February 2007 was organised and hosted by the Policy Analysis Unit of the Human Science Research Council (HSRC). The Policy Analysis Unit is a dedicated unit, fully funded by the government of South Africa, Department of Science and Technology.
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Section 1: Conceptual and theoretical frameworks
1. Policy coherence: Meanings, concepts and frameworks
Simeon Maile
2. Education in South Africa: Some points for policy coherence
Jonathan Carter
3. Putting research on education and poverty into practice: Strategies for education and poverty research
Simeon Maile
4. Education and poverty reduction/eradication: Omissions, fashions and promises
Yusuf Sayed
5. Education for poverty alleviation: Myth or reality?
Joe Teffo
Section 2: Poverty in education
6. Student poverty in higher education: The impact of higher education dropout on poverty
Moeketsi Letseka and Mignonne Breier
7. Breaking the shackles of poverty through education enhancing programmes: The glimmer of optimism in School Nutrition Programme
Zama Kiti
Section 3: Critical reflections on education and poverty policy
8. The complexity of systems change in education
Graeme Bloch
9. The boundaries of care: Education policy interventions for vulnerable children
Ursula Hoadley
10. Education and poverty: Development policy options in a democratic era
Simeon Maile
11. Poverty, unemployment and education: Strategies to address the disservice of modern development
Reynold Sonn
Section 4: Lessons and case studies
12. Skills development for poverty reduction: Can FET colleges deliver?
Salim Akoojee and Simon McGrath
13. Corporate social investment in education: The paradox of poverty alleviation in South Africa
Delia Nzekwu
14. Challenges facing the implementation of policy on girls' education in Zanzibar
Issa Ziddy
15. The role of media in education and poverty reduction
Jane Stadler
Section 5: Biographies of hope
16. Integration of ex-offenders: Introduction
Edna Freinkel
