How Grade 11 and 12 learners from informal settlements navigate access to higher education in South Africa

Abstract

The goal of this study is to better understand how Grade 11 and 12 learners from informal settlements navigate their access to higher education institutions. Research has shown that low academic attainment and lack of resources are dominating South African schools located in informal settlements. Whereas many obstacles prevent learners in schools situated in informal settlements from accessing institutions of higher learning such as low socioeconomic levels and inadequate service delivery. These are a few of the problems that result in a lack of essential facilities like classrooms and libraries as well as other tools like textbooks and computers that would help learners improve. To address the research questions, this study used a qualitative research approach to investigate the opinions and viewpoints of the learners in navigating their access to higher education institutions. In-depth interviews were used to interview 15 participants comprising eight males and seven females who were born and raised in Braamfischerville, Johannesburg West. The results of this study showed that external variables, including socioeconomic problems, a lack of information about how to access institutions of higher education, financial aid, lack of resources and lack of infrastructure have substantial impacts on the teaching and learning process, ultimately determining the learners’ degree of achievement. As a result, this study suggests a method or model for schools in informal settlement areas that will help provide information on how to access higher education institutions and how to get funding for such institutions. Also, the government and higher education institutions need to give career exhibition priority in informal settlement schools to provide seminars or programmes to equip teachers on how to provide learners from these schools with the necessary information.