Beyond Expectations: Progression of poor students through university by Servaas Van Der Berg

A good education is the only reliable way of escaping from poverty, but this is seldom available for South Africa’s poor. Most poor children attend schools where the quality of teaching and learning is extremely weak, even when compared to much poorer African countries. Those who do well in matric then face "financial constraints to further studies. Thus, almost two decades after the political transition, the largest population group, black Africans, is still poorly represented at university because of weak schools and the cost of university.