What The Research Says...

Education in South Africa:

"Education is not only noteworthy for its contribution to economic progress, citing India's investment in education in the 1970's as a prime example, but it is statistically proven that those with a higher degree of education have a better of quality of life and are better poised to impact and develop their own communities." (1)

"Almost universally, education is found to lift people out of poverty in the sense of the increment in income that accrues to each year of education – are much higher for those with higher levels of education."(2)

“Education is key to sustainable socioeconomic development, but the legacy of apartheid poses challenges in South Africa. The apartheid system excluded blacks in South Africa from receiving quality education in areas such as math and science that provide the skills needed for higher paying jobs.”(3)

"Today, only 14% of black South Africans over the age of 20 have a high school or higher education, and only 3.5% complete a college degree. This is a startling disparity when compared to white South African youth of the same age in which 65% have a high school or higher qualification.”(4)

"Education contributes to social and economic development in society. Moreover, in the search for strategies to reduce poverty, it has been established that education and literacy are crucial for improving the lives of people living in poverty. Education helps to alleviate poverty by affecting labour productivity and via other paths of social benefit." (5)

Sports and Community Development:

“Research has since provided evidence to support the claim that sports participation is associated with higher self-esteem among both boys and girls."(6)

"Sports participants have showed significantly higher indications of having established and clarified their educational goals, career plans, personal life direction, and cultural belongingness. They have been able to meet their own needs to structure their own lives in order to function responsible, to devise successful academic strategies, and to contribute to community life."(7)

“Participating in a sport is a positive contributor to having a healthy body, which one undertakes for one's self. It is likely to make a young person feel competent, autonomous, and connected to others."(8)

"In a situation following conflict, when many young men and women need to be inserted into society, sports projects can be directly linked to conflict prevention."(9)

"Sport must be a catalyst for the building of a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, prosperous and free South Africa. It can build social cohesion and build a proud South African nation for all South Africans"(10)

“Youth sports participants demonstrated a strong positive relationship between physical activity and self-esteem, especially among racially, economically, and geographically diverse girls."(11)

"Sport can be crucial to the social and personal development of young people. By participating in sporting activities they can learn to differentiate between good and bad behavior."(12)

References:

1. World Values Survey 2005

2. Appleton, S., Kingdon, G., Knight, J., Soderbom, M., & Teal, F. (2009) Does Investing in Education Reduce Poverty? Evidence from Ghana, Uganda and South Africa. Retrieved May 25, 2009 from Center for the Study of African Economies.

3. Congressional Budget Justification for South Africa. (2006) Retrieved May 25, 2009 from USAID: From the American People. Website: http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/democracy_and_governance/regions/afr/southafrica.html

4. Education in South Africa. (2006). Retrieved May 25, 2009 from SouthAfrica.info: Gateway to the Nation. Website: http://www.southafrica.info/about/education/education.html

5. Rhaman, R. Does Education Reduce Poverty in Rural Bangladesh? UK Department for International Development. 2008.

6. Allison J. Tracy and Sumru Erkut. Gender and Race Patterns In The Pathways From Sports Participation To Self-esteem. Sociological Perspectives, Vol. 45, No. 4, Gender and Sports (Winter, 2002), pp. 446.

7. Malebo, A. Sport Participation, Psychological Well-Being, and Psychosocial Development In A Group of Young Black Adults. South African Journal of Psychology, 37 (1). 2007. PP 188-206.

8. Allison J. Tracy and Sumru Erkut. Gender and Race Patterns In the Pathways From Sports Participation to Self-esteem. Sociological Perspectives, Vol. 45, No. 4, Gender and Sports (Winter, 2002), pp. 455.

9. Hoglund, K, Sundberg, R. Reconciliation Through Sports - The Case of South Africa. Third World Quarterly, Volume 29, No 4, 2008, pp 805-818.

10. Malebo, A. Sport Participation, Psychological Well-Being, and Psychosocial Development In A Group of Young Black Adults. South African Journal of Psychology, 37 (1). 2007. PP 188-206.

11. Allison J. Tracy and Sumru Erkut. Gender and Race Patterns In the Pathways From Sports Participation to Self-esteem. Sociological Perspectives, Vol. 45, No. 4, Gender and Sports (Winter, 2002), pp. 455.

12. Crabbe, T. A Sporting chance: Using Sport to Tackle Drug Use and Crime. Drugs: education, prevention, and policy, 7 (4). 2007.