Childhood and adult disability: impacts on education and the labour market in South Africa=Ukukhubazeka kwabantwana nabadala: Umthelela kwezemfundo nakwezemisebenzi eNingizimu Afrika.

Abstract

Abstract Equal opportunities in education and the labour market are prioritised on the global agenda for people with disabilities. It is widely acknowledged that people with higher levels of education are more likely to find employment and to earn more compared to people with lower levels of education. Any negative impact on educational attainment during school-going years may result in long term labour market consequences in adulthood. People who are unable to access education, may fall into poverty and poverty makes people more vulnerable to acquiring disabilities. In addition, people with disabilities are less likely to participate in the labour market and if they do are more likely to be unemployed thus perpetuating this disability and poverty cycle. As a means of monitoring the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, an internationally recognised and comparable survey instrument designed by The Washington Group (WG) was incorporated into the General Household Survey (GHS) in South Africa from 2009. Very little academic research has been conducted in South Africa using the WG questions yet the White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities prioritises monitoring and evaluation through rigorous research. This thesis demonstrates the ways in which household survey questions on disability have evolved over time due to the conceptual changes from the medical model of disability to the social model and how these questions can be used to measure disability prevalence. Using the GHS and the WG set of questions, the thesis estimates how childhood disability is associated with school attendance and progression. The findings strongly suggest that children with disabilities, particularly those with more severe disabilities, are more likely to be out of school and when they are in school they are at least two years behind their peers without disabilities. For adults with disabilities the probability of labour market participation and employment is lower. In addition, there is a notable gap in earnings between people with and without disabilities. Severe disabilities (involving physical and cognitive impairments) have worse outcomes overall. Importantly, the results suggest that if people with disabilities are able to attain equivalent levels of education to their peers without disabilities, their labour market outcomes improve significantly. This study therefore demonstrates the vital importance of education and the need for education to be the primary focus of policy efforts for people with disabilities.

Iqoqa Amathuba alinganayo kwezemfundo nakwezemisebenzi abekwa phambili ezinhlelweni zomhlaba wonke kulabo bantu abakhubazekile. Kuyinto eyaziwayo ngokubanzi ukuthi abantu abanezinga eliphakeme lemfundo banethuba elingcono ekutholeni umsebenzi nokuhola kangcono uma kuqhathaniswa nalabo abanezinga eliphansi lemfundo. Noma yikuphi okunomthelela ongemuhle ekutholeni imfundo ngeminyaka yokuya esikoleni kungaba nemiphumela enganambitheki uma umuntu esesebenza ebudaleni. Ngaphezu kwalokho, abantu abangakwazi ukuthola imfundo bangazithola becwile ekuhluphekeni kanti ububha benza kube lula ukuthi abantu bathole ukukhubazeka. Ukusebenzisa izibalomidanti ezibanzi zomphakathi kubalulekile ekukhuthazeni ukushintshwa kwenqubomgomo nokukhanyisela abenza inqubomgomo ngezinto ezidinga ukuqashelwa. Insizakusebenza yesaveyi eyamukelwa emhlabeni wonke eyakhiwa yiWashington Group yafakwa kwiGeneral Household Survey (GHS) eNingizimu Afrika ngonyaka wezi-2009. Imibono yongoti ebanzi eNingizimu Afrika igxilile ekuxhumaneni phakathi kokukhubazeka nobuphofu kanti ucwaningo oluxilonge imiphumela ngezemisebenzi alukaze lusebenzise imibuzo ngokweWashington Group. Lo msebenzi ukhombisa izindlela amasaveyi ngezamakhaya aseNingizimu Afrika angasetshenziswa ngazo ukuthola abantu abakhubazekile. Ngokusebenzisa iGHS, umthelela wokukhubazeka ekuyeni esikoleni nokuqhubeka emfundweni uyakwazi ukukaleka. Imiphumela yocwaningo iveza ukuthi abantwana abakhubazekile, ikakhulukazi labo abanokukhubazeka okukhulu, maningi amathuba okuthi bangasiqedi isikole kanti uma bekhona esikoleni basalele ngeminyaka emibili kontanga yabo abangakhubazekile. Kubantu abadala, abantu abakhubazekile banamathuba amancane okuzithola bebandakanyeka kwezemisebenzi, ukuqashwa nokuthi kube nemali abayiholayo. Ukukhubazeka okujulile (okusemzimbeni noma ngokuthikamezeka kwengqondo) kukhombisa isimo esibi kakhulu ngokubanzi. Kubalulekile okukhonjiswa yimiphumela kokuthi uma abantu abakhubazekile bekwazile ukuthola imfundo elingana neyozakwabo abangakhubazekile, imiphumela ngokwemisebenzi iyashintsha kakhulu. Lolu cwaningo ngaleyo ndlela lukhombisa ukubaluleka kwemfundo kanye nesidingo sokuthi imfundo ibhekelelwe ngokwenqubomgomo kubantu abakhubazekile.

[Amagama asemqoka: Ukukhubazeka; Ezemfundo; Ezemisebenzi; Amasaveyi amakhaya]