The delivery of quality learning in any education system depends on a sufficient supply of quality teachers. The demand for teachers can be influenced by factors including the educational aspirations of a society, and the skills needs of the economy.

In addition, the changing patterns of teacher demand since the development of modern mass education systems means looking not only at the size and scope of the education system, but also at the quality and length of teachers' working lives.

Teacher Graduate Production in South Africa by Andrew Paterson and Fabian Arends (HSRC Press) looks at the supply and demand of teachers within a national context that acknowledges an impending shortage of teachers.

The monograph specifically focuses on the changing demography of education students at South African higher education institutions. It explores a broad overview of the enrolment, graduation and throughput characteristics of students registered for programmes in the education field, both in the Initial Professional Education and Training (IPET) and Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) fields - which apply to new students and qualified teachers, respectively.

Making use of data covering the period 1995 to 2006, the publication covers a key period in South African history, coinciding with the first decade or so of democracy. It also covers a key issue in South African society as the supply of education graduates has become a matter of national concern.

The extended time period is additionally important because while teacher challenges are felt in the present, changes in graduate production that affect teacher supply may be identified by looking back at enrolment and graduation trends over a number of years.

By exploring key questions such as how many people enrol and graduate within the field of education, who they are in terms of gender, population group and age, and at what levels do student graduate, a pattern can be discerned in teacher graduate production in South Africa.

The publication confirms the suspicion that there was a decline in the number of African women aged 30 and younger entering teacher-training; which is a major cause for concern given that African women constitute the majority of South Africa's teachers.

There has also been a decline in the number of teachers applying for bursaries to enter primary-phase teaching. And there are low numbers of students with mother-tongue competence in African official numbers.

Further factors noted in the study include a decline in teacher recruits from rural areas, and the marked affect of HIV/AIDS on the teacher population, while the closure of the former education colleges nationwide is noted as a key factor in falling teacher-training numbers.

The findings produced in Teacher Graduate Production in South Africa by Andrew Paterson and Fabian Arends (HSRC Press) should provide a useful basis for dialogue and further research on questions of teacher supply and teacher quality, which are high on the agenda of the national Department of Education. Ultimately, the research should provide a solid starting point for policy debate and decision-making.

Teacher Graduate Production in South Africa is by Andrew Paterson and Fabian Arends and published by the HSRC Press. The monograph forms part of the Teacher Education in South Africa series, and is the first of a number of publications falling under the theme of teacher supply and demand.

Copies of An overview of research, policy and practice in teacher supply and demand, 1994–2008 are available from leading booksellers nationally, and from hrcspress