The importance of intermediate and high skills development in the Western Cape: background paper 1: the underpinning infrastructure: public schooling in the Western Cape

Abstract

This is one of three background papers written to inform the HSRC's report on the significance of intermediate and high-level skills development for micro-economic development strategy in the Western Cape. The focus of this paper is on schooling as it provides the basic infrastructure for human resources development in the Western Cape. The authors focused on the issue of migration and its impact on schooling in the province. The paper draws on the most up-to-date statistical data available, analysing provincial data in relation to national trends. The paper also benefits from a number of national studies recently conducted by the HSRC in relation to areas that are not well researched, such as enterprise based training, or higher education-industry partnerships.