Private vs public schools: is it worth the money?

There is a perception that private schools are better than their public counterparts because more money buys more resources which leads to better results.

A review of the 2014 matric performance of the top public schools in the country suggests that one does not need to break the bank to produce excellent academic results.

BusinessTech has compiled data looking at the tuition costs, number of students and number of Bachelor entry passes attained from some of the most expensive private schools and top-performing public schools in South Africa.

According to the department of education, 515 public schools in SA attained a 100% pass rate in 2014. Of these, 111 schools have maintained the perfect pass rate over the past 5 years – stretching back to 2010.

To determine the “top performing” public schools, BusinessTech investigated these schools and ranked the top 10 according the number of students who sat the exams.

As all the schools listed in this comparison – private and public – achieved a 100% pass rate in 2014. The number of Bachelor entry passes (as a percentage) was selected as the measure of performance.

It must be stressed that drawing any conclusions based on performance versus cost in the schools listed below is limited, as private school costs encompass more than just tuition.

For many private schools, the costs account for facilities, location and other benefits (such as fewer students per class), as well as the history and prestige associated with the schools.

The analysis does not take this into account, nor does it seek to compare differences between IEB and NSC qualifications, the quality of teachers, or any other factors that may affect the pricing of an institution.

The expectation: Paying a premium on education should guarantee excellent performance, and students at these institutions should outperform their peers.

The reality: In most cases, students from top public schools perform just as well as their peers from prestigious private schools.

Top public school performance

School	Matrics who wrote in 2014	Bachelors entry achieved	Annual school fees
Hoërskool Garsfontein	367	74%	R19 400
Durban Girls High School	252	97%	R21 600
Westville Girls High School	231	99%	R23 000
Pietermaritzburg Girls High School	224	95%	R19 000
Afrikaans Hoër Meisieskool	184	96%	R26 000
Eunice High School	177	97%	R17 600
Randfontein High School	175	63%	R7 800
Jeppe Girls	151	89%	R23 800
Danville Girls High School	148	99%	R29 500
Clarendon Girls High School	147	97%	R24 600
Average	206	90%	R21 230

Hoërskool Garsfontein saw the largest number of matriculants sit for the exams out of the schools measured (367 students), and with a bachelor entry pass rate of 74% had the most bachelors passes in real terms (271 students).

The institution’s head, Leon Bantjes, told BusinessTech that the school provides a wide variety of classes that cater not only for students looking to go to university, but also those that seek to enter other sectors of society.

“The purpose of Garsfontein, in the context of education, is to provide as wide a variety of subjects at the highest possible quality to accommodate as wide a variety of skills needs at the lowest possible cost.”

Private school performance

School	Matrics who wrote in 2014	Bachelors entry achieved	Annual school fees
St Stithians	251*	98%*	R104 770
Bishops	149	99%	R105 520
St Johns College	140	98%	R115 067
Kearsney College	123	98%	R134 800
Michaelhouse	115	95%	R208 320**
Hilton College	112	94%	R219 500**
St Alban’s College	104	95%	R102 900
St Andrew’s School for Girls	77	99%	R102 400
Roedean School for Girls	71	99%	R107 670
St Martins College	50	82%	R112 000
Average	119	96%	R131 295