Abstract
The educational attainment of learners in lower quintile schools often lags behind that of their more affluent peers. This disparity persists from lower grades and becomes pronounced in Grade 12, where these lower quintile schools are frequently categorised as ‘underperforming’. However, within this deprived context, some schools defy the odds by producing commendable results through strategies developed and implemented by their School Management Teams (SMTs). This study examines the challenges experienced by SMTs in lower quintile high schools in maintaining and improving Grade 12 results in core subjects, as well as the interventions designed to address these challenges. Furthermore, this inquiry sought to determine the effectiveness of these strategies as well as investigate the types of support and resources mobilised by school management in their implementation.
Employing qualitative research methods, this study utilised semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and field notes to triangulate the sentiments of participants, thereby enhancing the trustworthiness of the data. The study found that the challenges of lower quintile schools are vastly different from those of their upper-quintile counterparts, and these impediments dictate the strategies implemented in response.
Additionally, it revealed differences between lower quintile schools in rural and township areas concerning the support and resources mobilised. This study suggests that while a generic list of strategies exists, context is central to the efforts by SMTs aimed at improving and maintaining Grade 12 results at lower quintile schools.