School readiness refers to the set of skills that 4- and 5-year-olds need to benefit from educational activities in a school setting and to adequately meet the social and academic demands of that environment.

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Adequate school readiness is essential for children’s social and academic success. According to the Quebec Survey on Child Development in Preschool, approximately three out of ten children (28.7%) are behind in at least one aspect of school readiness—whether cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, motor, or physical. In South Africa, this proportion is twice as high: 58% of 5-year-olds are considered insufficiently prepared for school entry.

 

The objective of this project is to identify the key determinants of school readiness among 5-year-olds in South Africa, using data from the Thrive by Five survey, the largest national study on the development of preschool-aged children in that country.

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While most research on school readiness is conducted in industrialized countries, this study will help fill a significant knowledge gap by examining the determinants of school readiness in a context characterized by significant social, economic, and educational inequalities.

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