Reimagining Basic Education in South Africa: Lessons from the Eastern Cape set out to explore the roles of politics, governance, accountability and power in transforming the education systems inherited from apartheid. The Eastern Cape was chosen as a case study because it reveals the fault lines established by apartheid and colonialism.

This research project seeks to enable various stakeholders, ranging from national and provincial government departments, educational institutions and policymakers, to have a better understanding of how the past twenty years have shaped educational change in South Africa and also to identify lessons that can inform policy and programmes on changing complex educational systems.