There are doubts about the quality of education being provided to the majority of students in South Africa, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said in a report released on Tuesday.
In international tests of literacy and maths and science learning since the late 1990s, average scores for South Africa have "trailed the pack," the report said.
In the crucial areas of maths and science the government had set itself ambitious goals for increasing exam pass rates, "but the goals are not being met".
The number of passes even fell between 2005 and 2006, according to the report.
The poor results in the post-apartheid era may be a by-product of the "understandable effort to make the system more democratic", the OECD said.
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One factor was the expansion in the number of teachers to deliver greater access to schooling for black children.
"The certification of a large number of teachers appears to have been associated with a relaxation of standards, given the shortage of experienced and well-qualified teachers."
There were also efforts to encourage white teachers to quit or retire to re-balance the teaching corps - "which worsened the shortage of trained teachers," the report added.
And in spite of the acute shortage of well-trained teachers, anecdotal evidence suggested that it could be difficult for qualified teachers from abroad to obtain working visas for South Africa.
Other problems in the education system included a shortage of texts and basic infrastructure, teacher absenteeism, the impact of HIV and Aids and "the continued disparity between the former white schools and others, especially the former black schools," the report said.
The report was the first assessment of South Africa by the OECD.
South Africa is not currently a member of OECD but is among the five countries offered enhanced engagement with a view to having an opportunity to work more closely with the OECD.
The other countries are Brazil, China, India and Indonesia. - Sapa
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