SHORT COMINGS IN SA EDUCATION

Research Proposal: A Study of the Educational System of South Africa: Is it Adequately Preparing Black Africans to Fully Participate in the New Democracy ? Masters in Governance and Political Transformation Antoinette Noel Eyth Student Number: 2008099034 Dr. T. Coetzee Programme Director Winkie Direko Building, Room 37 Dr Kallie J De Beer Research Supervisor Director Academic Support and Research Unit for Academic Development Central University of Technology, Free State Submitted, May 31, 2009 Table of Contents Introduction and Motivation..................................................................................1 Research Problem..................................................................................................8 Aim of Study.........................................................................................................9 Methodology.........................................................................................................11 Research Design....................................................................................................13 Bibliography..........................................................................................................15 A Study of the Educational System of South Africa: Is it Adequately Preparing Black Africans to Fully Participate in the New Democracy? 1. Introduction and Motivation A country's educational system and its co-existing political agenda and economical needs have long been in solidarity with one another. The way in which pupils/future employees are schooled has a direct bearing on the economic performance of a state and thereby receives ample attention from its governing body. Without going into an international and historical comparative analysis to support the aforementioned statement, a basic understanding of South Africa's own educational history under apartheid substantiates this principle. The apartheid government used education to help perpetuate and reproduce a racist system and to encourage obedience and conformity to that system (Harber, 7:2001). To support its particular ideology, the old guard brought the educational system under its supreme control in order to instill into the minds of Black Africans that each of their specific tribal cultures were of lower order and that they should learn how to prepare themselves for a subservient place in a white-dominated society to be 'hewers of wood and drawers of water' (Christie & Collins, 161:1984). Under the National Party from 1953 until 1994, the Bantu Education Act emphasized an inferior and more vocational education for the purposes of producing inferior, non-threatening and tribalistic Africans to simply perform the most rudimentary labor functions under Afrikaner repression (Christie & Collins, 182, 1984). Though the limited scope in content of schooling afforded under Bantu Education (training Blacks to only be employed at the unskilled or semi-skilled levels) generally suited the needs of capitalistic production in South Africa during the earlier period of apartheid, the system became less functional as time went on under conditions of increased capital intensification which demanded highly trained manpower, the likes of which only the majority population of Black Africans could provide by sheer number (Davies, 347: 1984). 1. In 1964, a study by Nathan Hurwitz criticized Bantu Education for curtailing the flow of vitally needed skilled and professional manpower, and thereby impeding economic growth (Davies, 347:1984). Additionally, two reports published in 1966 by the self-styled 1961 Educational Panel, asserted that the skilled labor stock would soon be depleted and therefore prevention was needed to the tune of free and compulsory primary education for Blacks, as well as an advanced stream within Bantu Education to confer education of the utmost quality on suitable candidates. The link between education and economic growth can be clearly demonstrated in the situation of educational apartheid, as its policies acted as a brake on economic development (Davies, 347: 1984) and by so doing created a ripple effect which played a substantial role in ending the National Party's 46-year reign. South Africa's history has demonstrated the profound effects that government's educational policies can have on the nation and how, in turn, the effects education can have on government. It can be inferred that if South Africa's former government's educational system was strong enough to oppress the majority of its citizens for several decades and to create the economic downturn of the nation as a whole, then the cornerstone in the new democracy from 1994 onwards would need to be a sound and substantial educational reform. Harber (2001) states that educational reform has to be profound and extensive if South Africa is to become a modern, democratic state participating in the global political economy of the twenty-first century (Harber, 8:2001). With regards to democracy, South Africa's present system can be described as lingering somewhere between a liberal democracy and a new or even semi-democracy. The former is the case due to the largely representative and indirect role that exists between elected officials and the masses. The latter classification of a new democracy can be applicable due to the relatively brief amount of time the nation has spent in the present regime, while traits of a semi-democracy can be argued as evident based upon hints of the previous authoritarian rule intermingled with democratic practices. Evidence of this enmeshing can be seen in the 'bifurcated-state', in which the Euro-centric and modern 2. system of rule which dominate the urban areas of South Africa, co-exist with the more Africanist and communitarian features predominant in the rural areas. This is the same operative regime of former oppression, which has yet to be totally eradicated from present-day South African politics (Human, 1998:32). One of the most prevalent environments to observe the aforementioned system in action is within the sphere of education, where schools situated in urban areas vary greatly in resources and performance as compared to those in rural outskirts and informal settlements. A systemic evaluation, by province, of grade 6 learners undertaken by the Department of Education in 2005 revealed that learners in rural schools performed worse than their counterparts in urban areas, with the Western Cape performing the highest and Limpopo obtaining the lowest average (OECD, 53:2008). The gap in performance may be attributed to lack of books, large class sizes, poor facilities, and the use of corporal punishment that still pervades rural schools while more financially stable urban schools operate without such obstacles (OECD, 57-59: 2008). These divisions continue to persist, irrespective of the tremendous strides taken by the present government throughout this period of transformation (1994 and onward) to redress such circumstances. The newly elected Government of National Unity was faced, in 1994, with the enormous task of completely restructuring and rebuilding the education system and redressing the inequities of the past. The first curriculum reform of the new government was therefore to remove racially offensive content from school syllabuses (Harber, 41:2001). “Since 1994, the government has worked to transform all facets of the education system. The fragmented and racially duplicated institutions of the Apartheid era have been replaced by a single national system including nine provincial sub-systems” (OECD, 37:2008). The White Paper on Education and training was the first policy document which paved the way for a new era of education and training in South Africa. In order to fulfill the policy's guidelines, the 3. South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), the National Qualifications Framework, the Committee on Teacher Education Policy (COTEP), and the National Education and Policy Act (Act 27 of 1996) were established (Van Wyk & Steenkamp, 2-5:1998). The major curriculum innovation to be introduced under the new democracy was 'Curriculum 2005', implemented in the first year of primary and secondary school in 1998 and set to be completed for all years by 2005. Curriculum 2005 is a policy of transforming teaching, learning and assessment to Outcomes Based Education (OBE), which emphasizes what the learner will be able to do at the end of the learning process (Harber, 41:2001). The latest tweak in educational policy can be found in the revised National Curriculum Statement(NCS) adopted in 2002, which culminated the phase-in of the new curriculum in grade 12 in 2008 (OECD, 41:2008). Integration of knowledge and skills across subjects and fields of learning aims at developing practical, foundational and reflective competencies and integrated learning of theory, practice and reflection. Additionally, “Subject Statements” show progression from one grade level to another (DoE, 3:2003). Six to eight (respective of revision in NCS) specific “learning areas” are required for completion of Curriculum 2005, each with its set of specific outcomes. One such learning area, Life Orientation, places a particular emphasis on democratic principles. “Life Orientation is the study of the self in relation to others and to society....The focus is the development of self-in-society, and this encourages the development of balanced and confident learners who will contribute to a just and democratic society, a productive economy and an improved quality of life for all.” (DoE, 9:2003) Under this specific learning area, personal well-being, citizenship education, recreation and physical activity, and careers and career choices are highlighted. Personal well-being emphasizes building self-esteem, confidence and applying various life-skills to everyday life, as well as discussing 4. influences in society that impact on well-being. Citizenship Education entails awareness of discrimination, economic and social justice, environmentally sustainable living and exploring diverse religions for tolerance purposes. Recreation and Physical Well-being stresses the importance of nutrition, physical activity and recreation and their contribution to personal health. Lastly, Career and Career Choices involves learner's reflection on their particular interests and abilities as it relates to future career and entrepreneurial options. The Life Skills component of Curriculum 2005 is of particular significance to this research, as it contains within its scope the essential educational elements for considerable participation within a democratic system. It supplies practical instruction at a developmentally appropriate and progressive manner in the areas of personal and interpersonal relationships as an ethical/moral deterrent to criminal activities; political literacy as a catalyst for participatory and informed functioning within a democracy, and career preparatory education, including entrepreneurial guidance, as a buffer to the working environment. Furthermore, this learning area, as compulsory from R-12, provides ample time and opportunity for the leaner to receive the maximum benefits from this education, and thereby in a position be of greatest service to society. As stated previously, OBE was first introduced in 1998 and has therefore been ten years in operation. Students who were entering grade R at that point, are expected to be in grade 9 presently. While those who are in the Further Education and Training level 12 would have benefited from the new curriculum since grade 2. Though it should be expected for the products of such a first-class level of educational policy to be model citizens, there have been some notable problems in the realization of the proposed educational goals, particularly among schools in rural areas and informal settlements. The findings from a study conducted by Motseke in 2005, indicated that the inadequate and inferior professional training that was imparted upon the majority of township educators during the apartheid era, along with overcrowding and the insufficient supply of facilities and resources were 5. among the primary factors that made the implementation of OBE problematic in the township schools. The challenge of poor professional training is exacerbated by the fact that the OBE training provided by the education ministry came too late, and it was generally lacking and theoretical. Moreover, parents' poor participation in educational matters due to, among others, illiteracy and lack of interest also make a negative contribution to the implementation of OBE in the township schools (Motseke,1:2005). Another study undertaken in 2006 by Horn examines the problem of post-education employment for learners, even under the new curriculum. He states, “The new political dispensation and socio-economic transformation in South Africa do not, unfortunately, guarantee jobs for those who wish to enter the labor market after school. Indications are that only between 5–7% of successful Grade 12 candidates in the country find employment in the formal sector. The problem of unemployment and ways to improve the employability of learners therefore needs to be urgently addressed.” Findings concerning the low employability levels of recent graduates to the labor market included: the structural shift in the economy towards a more knowledge-based service sector; the lack of entrepreneurial skills and orientation among new entrants to create new business; and educators with low morale who do not actively prepare learners for the job market. Further studies examine crime among students within the educational setting itself. The following statements are various quotations by different sources from a report by De Wet in 2003: “Educators apparently accept it as a given that they have to protect their personal and school property against learner theft”; “There are indications that educators are increasingly becoming the target of learner aggression.”; “Many educators experience their place of work as dangerous. Thus, their first priority is not to teach, but to survive.” Curcio and First in De Wet mention the following as examples of serious learner-on-learner acts: rape, murder, drive-by shootings, firing arms in the school building or terrain, carrying a fire-arm on the school premises, and wounding or killing (knifing) a fellow learner. 6. When examining challenges of implementing the present curriculum, the aforementioned issues of insufficiently trained and de-motivated teachers, poor supplies and resources, and the very socio-economically impoverished communities in which schools are situated and learners come from, are also some of the common criminogenic risk factors that serve as catalysts for youth and adult offenders (Maree, 55-72:2008). A socially deviant individual is the exact opposite of what the school system is in place to produce. Yet in the poorest of communities– those in which house the majority of South Africa's citizens – educational facilities' shortcomings seem to be spawning more negative results than favorable outcomes. The legacy of apartheid is well known and documented within South African literature as well as having been deeply impressed into the memories of those who lived through any part of its reign. The effects of the previous order can still be seen on the outskirts of the nation's urban areas where meticulously situated Black communities still exist in a malfunctioning mode of operation. Oppressive mindsets still pervade the teaching style of many educators who received their minimalist training under the old guard - a mentality that has proven challenging to change in the effort to introduce Curriculum 2005. Taking into consideration the vision of transformation of the new democratic South Africa as expressed in the Constitution and expected to be propelled by reforming the educational system that once served as detriment to the nation's economy and a source of oppression to the masses, a critical examination of each one of the country's schools, immediately proceeded by a plan and follow through of action is desperately needed if that vision is to be realized. In this researcher's opinion, the Constitution of South Africa and the many policies and acts that have followed suite thereafter, are some of the most equitable and innovative political documents of their kind. Curriculum 2005 as an educational strategy is wide-ranging and even groundbreaking in scope. If implemented properly, it holds the potential to produce some of the finest citizens who are not only academically astute, but are sensitive to the particular needs of the larger society and committed to 7 . the greater good of humanity as a whole. For this reason, and for the sake of a sustainable democratic system that can be a beacon of hope amongst the nations in an ever-increasing time of skepticism, materialism, cynicism and individualism, optimal effort is required to make the political aspirations of South Africa a realized hope for all the world. 2. Research Problem A commonly cited problem within South African politics is the divide between its masterful policies and the actual implementation thereof. This research seeks to explore this separation in light of the nation's educational system in an effort to explain the issue, with future aspirations of solving the gap in this political bridge. The education of Black Africans will specifically be analyzed as representative of the majority of constituents and those who were most disadvantaged by the previous regime. Since the present day government asserts itself as pro-poor and aimed at redressing the ills of apartheid, tangible results should be most evident within those geographic and racial sectors which were most severely impacted prior to the democratization of South Africa, namely the Black rural and township areas. It seems as though it is going to take more than mere policy changes and liberty in citizenship (notably no small feats) to undo and up-build a nation so effectively saturated in the ideological agenda of the past. What is it going to take for true political transformation to ensue? That is the question this research seeks to resolve. By studying the educational system's effectiveness in preparing Black Africans to fully participate in South Africa's new democracy, this study aspries not only to address the problematic relationship between policy and practice, but it also questions the pedestal on which government places education as limited to pupils in school settings alone. Transformation of a political system needs to be all-encompassing in citizenry and dimension if it is to be truly impelling. In an analysis of the pervasive criminal mentality that is prevalent in much of South Africa, Maree observes that: “Social transformation in South Africa has meant that a previous system has been 8. abolished and this has resulted in norms, values and social control being forgotten or pushed aside. The biggest disadvantage of South Africa's social transformation from an authoritative community to a democracy has been that the old system was rejected before new norms, values and laws were implemented. This has led to a situation of anomie or normlessness,...” (Maree, 61: 2008) Bearing the above-mentioned in mind, it becomes evident that the research problem is multifaceted. The problem is the yet-to-be realized political goals aspired to under a democratic system. That system is South Africa and its uphill struggle to move its respective political rhetoric into actualization. Evidence of this challenge can be best illustrated in the present educational system and its obstacles in trying to pour the proverbial new wine into old wineskin. The research problem is that the problems faced in education can be substantially attributed to an inadequate displacement of the old, counterproductive schema held by society at large. Therefore, an understanding of how to impart democratic values across systems is necessary to solve the problem of an incomplete, and thereby an unrealized transformation of South Africa. 3. Aim of the Study The purpose of this research is not only at exploring and explaining the current educational situation of Black Africans in South Africa as a key component to a vibrant democracy but also as a contribution for transformation and change. Paying respects to the critical theory, this research hopes to aid in the progress of political transformation in South Africa by doing its part, no matter how small in scale, to serve as an “emancipatory and transformative force in society” and “to liberate people from their state of alienation through the process of self-reflection” (Coetzee, 21&22:2009). This academic work seeks to“inform social practice and the fight for social justice” (Babbie & Mouton in Coetzee, 27:20009) All three types of research: exploratory, descriptive and explanation will be utilized in varying degrees in the process. This study is first of all exploratory, as the researcher will be undertaking a process of 9. familiarization with the topic preliminarily before advancing to a more structured study of the issue. It is anticipated that this investigation will obtain at least approximate answers to the research problem. In nomotheic fashion, the limited range of what can be captured within this study is hoped to be used as representative of the broader social context and a catalyst for further examination in future research. While some literature is available on the topic of South Africa's educational situation that contains a plethora of recommendations on a number of focus subsets within this realm, the government has yet to implement a solution that would truly penetrate and constitute a substantially measurable breakthrough towards educational transformation. Thus, the exploratory objective of this study aims to gain new insights in this matter. This study is descriptive in that it seeks to provide an in-depth description of the educational impact of several classifications of individual learners who will be representative of the larger group of learners within their respective classification system, in addition to a detailed description of their specific learning environments in context. This study aims at the research goal of explanation as well. In order to answer the question of how to bring about true transformation, an understanding of why this objective has been such a challenge is necessary to discover. Though preliminary questions are based upon findings of studies mentioned previously, (indifferent educator and learner attitudes, criminal behavior, low post-graduate employment rate, etc), the researcher acknowledges that different factors may exist within the particular environment of study. Notwithstanding, the study still seeks to explain causality between the South African political system, educational policies and practices, the learning environment and the products of that system. As the research methodology is Participatory Action oriented, much of the insight and aims that are to be discovered will only be revealed as the cooperative research is taking place and thereafter. However, additional research objectives to those identified above can be proposed as follows: 10. • To understand the educational situation in a particular informal settlement with the aims applying its contextual results to the wider Black population. • To identify problem areas and weakness within the politically imposed educational structure that may have been overlooked in a detached policy formulation process • To present variables which may influence the educational climate, with aims of aiding educational transformation in the social context, and to assess the implications thereof 4. Methodology Due to the nature of Participatory action research (PAR), the exact methodology will cooperatively be developed in context with those being studied, in that PAR emphasizes the “people's role in setting agendas, gathering and analysis of data and controlling outcomes.” (Coetzee, 27:2009) Nevertheless, as participants are given “co-researcher status and co-managing research processes” (Coetzee, 28: 2009), partial structuring can be brought into the process by the researcher, with the flexibility to make changes if necessary. Qualitative methods are anticipated to be the sole method of analysis of the research. Literature reviews will only be employed in the introductory portion of the study, as a medium used predominantly to present a background of the former educational system, as well as some of the transitions that government has underwent in its educational policies throughout this time of political transformation. Observational analysis will be conducted in a case study of two schools in Botshabelo in the Mangaung Local Municipality of the Free State Province. Grade 9 of Hohle Intermediary School along with Grade 12 of Sechaba Se Maketse Secondary School will serve as the focal point of the case study. Botshabelo is reportedly the largest township in the Free State with a population estimate of 180,000. Unemployment is high and the housing supply, public facilities and infrastructure are in poor condition (Abrahams, 5&7, 2006). This particular location therefore models as typical of South Africa's Black Townships. 11. Grade 9 will be examined due to that level serving as an exit point upon which certificates will be granted at Hohle beginning this year. Therefore this sample will serve not only to be representative of learners ready to proceed to the Further Education and Training (FET) level, but also those who may choose to end their schooling at that point . Grade 12 is magnified under the same premise, with the modification of obtaining a National Senior Certificate and the option to proceed to a Higher Education institution. Two additional groups will be studied, consisting of those who are products of either of the two schools who are employed or looking for work, as well as those who are in their first year of Higher Education. Sample sizes of 10 individuals from each group is anticipated. Interviews are planned to be conducted of school staff, including educators and administrative personnel. Learners will also be interviewed, both individually and in a group setting. Community members will also be interviewed, particularly those involved with the schools' governmental representative body. Additionally, those learners who have graduated from the respective schools' and have either progressed to the workforce (or seeking employment) or entered into their first year of higher education will be utilized in the interview process. Questionnaires/surveys and will also be implemented to the above groups. An additional element that the research adds to its scope is a case study to asses entrepreneurial aptitude among the 9th and 12th grade sample. This will be conducted by way of a control group who will be assessed based on the present level of education that the school has provided them at that point, and an experimental group who will receive additional training in the focus areas of ethics, politics and economics. Both groups will take part in a pseudo-micro-financing project that will provide them with access to a specified amount of capital to be loaned towards an entrepreneurial endeavor of their choosing. This procedure is intended to measure the current educational systems' preparedness of its learners versus an intense, accelerated, specific and hands-on training to be developed cooperatively by the researcher and the participants. 12. Furthermore, those being researched are given the opportunity to participate in their own liberation; “the participation of the working classes, the exploited and the poor in an analysis of their own reality.” (Babbie&Mouton, 58, 2001) This component of the research is intended to be transformative and paradigm-shifting. Further insight from all involved in the study will contribute to this endeavor, with the hopes of high community involvement that will be representative of how transformation can be achieved among the more marginalized Black areas. As the researcher intends to work in collaboration with the research participants, deeper insight is anticipated to be gained concerning problems facing the community than would policy reforms that are conceived while far removed from actual environment. This methodology may very well prove effective in the pursuit of transformation as it concerns itself with the peoples input and elicits their participation – the very embodiment of democracy. 5. Outline of the Study Chapter 1: Research Proposal 1. Introduction and Motivation 2. Problem Statement 3. Aims and Objectives 4. Methodology 5. Outline of the Study 6. Bibliography Chapter 2: Background on South African Education 2.1 Apartheid and Bantu Education 2. Educational Transitions: 1976 to Present 3. Problems with Present Educational Reform Chapter 3: South Africa Background in Present Perspective 3.1 Policy and Implementation: Constitution and Implementation 3.2 Practice and Preaching: Political Promises and Delivery 3.3 Rich and Poor: The Elite and The Desperate 13. 3.4 Comparative Analysis of Schools Across Contexts Chapter 4: Botshabelo 4.1 Historical Introduction 4.2 Hohle Intermediary School 4.3 Sechaba Se Maketse 4.4 Employed and Unemployed Learners 4.5 Higher Education Learners Chapter 5: Case Study of Educational Assessment and Transformation 5.1 Discoveries Chapter 6: Summary and Recommendations Bibliography 14. Bibliography Abrahams, D. Botshabelo: Toward Greater Self Dependence. 2006. Online. http://www.sacities.net/ppoint/led_mangaung.ppt Babbie, E. & Mouton, J. 2001. The practice of social research. Cape Town: Oxford University Press. Christie, P. & Collins, C. 1984. Bantu Education: Apartheid Ideology and Labor Production. (In Coetzee, T. 2009. Research Methodology (MGT 751/752) Bloemfontein: UFS (Study-guide) Davies, J. 1984. Capital State and Educational Reform in South Africa. (In Kallaway, P. Ed Apartheid and Education: The Education of Black South Africans. Braamfontein: Ravan Press. Pp 160-183) De Wet, C. 2003. Free State educators' perceptions of the scope of learner crime. South African Journal of Education. 23(3): p.168-175 Department of Education. 2003. National Curriculum Statement: Grades 10-12(General). Life Orientation. Pretoria. Harber, C. 2001. State of Transition: Post Apartheid Educational Reform in South Africa, United Kingdom: Symposium Books Horn, G .2006.Educational solutions to improve the employability of senior high school learners. South African Journal of Education. 26(1):p.113-128 15. Human, P. 1998. Yenza: A Blueprint for Transformation, Cape Town: Oxford University Press Kallaway, P. Ed Apartheid and Education: The Education of Black South Africans. Braamfontein: Ravan Press. Pp 160-183) Maree, A. 2008. Criminogenic Risk Factors of Youth Offenders. (In Bezuidenhout, C.& Joubert, S. Eds Child and Youth Misbehavior in South Africa: A Holistic Approach. Pretoria: Van Schaik. Pp 55-80) Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. 2008. Reviews for National Policies for Education: South Africa. Online. http://www.fedusa.org.za/pdfdocs/Reviews%20of%20National%20Policies%20for%20Education_South%20Africa.pdf Motseke, M.J. 2005 OBE : implementation problems in the black townships of South Africa. Interim : Interdisciplinary Journal. 4(2):p.113-121 Van Wyk, N. & Mothata, M.S.1998. Developments in South Africa Since 1994. (In Pretorius, F. Ed Outcomes-Based Education in South Africa: Policy Concepts, Implementation, Management, Quality Assurance. Randburg: Hodder & Stoughton Educational. Pp 1-12)