scholarly journals The Politics and Governance of Basic Education: A Tale of Two South African Provinces

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Levy ◽  
Robert Cameron
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Basic Education

scholarly journals A case study of two teacher learning communities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Free-Queen Bongiwe Zulu ◽  
Tabitha Grace Mukeredzi
Keyword(s):  
Professional Learning Communities ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Teacher Learning ◽  
South African ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Education And Development ◽  
Teacher Learning Communities

In the Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education and Development, a South African policy, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and the Department of Higher Education (DHET) call for the formation of professional learning communities and envisage support for teachers and access to enhanced professional development opportunities at the local level. However, the formation and operation of professional learning communities in a South African context is still unclear. In this article we use the concept of professional learning communities to examine the extent to which 2 teacher learning communities operate as professional learning communities. We used interviews, observations, survey questionnaires and document analysis to generate data. The findings of the study reveal that the 2 teacher learning communities were initiated by the DBE and not by teachers. However, the size of 1 teacher learning community and the nature of its functioning seemed to adhere to the characteristics of a professional learning community while the other did not. The findings indicate that professional learning communities that operate in developing contexts might be functional when all the stakeholders play a meaningful role in supporting professional learning communities.

scholarly journals THE RIGHT TO MOTHER-TONGUE EDUCATION: PRACTICABLE OR NOT?

Obiter ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chrizell Chürr
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Cumulative Effect ◽  
The South ◽  
National Education ◽  
Mother Tongue Education ◽  
South African Constitution ◽  
The Right ◽  
South African Schools Act

Mother-tongue and mother-tongue education are recognized worldwide as one of the most efficient ways to function cognitively and socially. This article addresses the role of proper mother-tongue education with an emphasis on the importance of “language” since language is vital to a child’s right to a basic education in all its dimensions. Without mother-tongue education, every child’s right to learn and to become a skilful adult, able to participate independently in society, is at risk. The cumulative effect of the South African Constitution, the National Education Policy Act, the South African Schools Act, several international instruments and a number of ground-breaking cases, as well as the interaction between them on mother-tongue education will be examined. The implementation of certain education models will also be proposed.

The educational research landscape on GIS integration and challenges – globally and in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 19-41
Author(s):  
Elfrieda Fleischmann ◽  
◽  
Christo van der Westhuizen ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Mixed Method Study ◽  
Global Trend ◽  
Gis Integration ◽  
Depth Interviews

As Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have only been included in the curriculum in the last decade, many educators globally struggle to integrate GIS practice into their teaching strategies. Following the global trend, South African educators might feel ill equipped as they did not receive formal GIS training in a higher education institution. This paper highlights key global and South African challenges regarding GIS integration. To compare the challenges that South Africa faces with those experienced elsewhere, this mixed method study gleaned data from student educators (n=78) who completed a questionnaire regarding their GIS FET Phase education, followed by in-depth interviews with FET Phase educators (n=10) and two provincial heads of Geography for the Department of Basic Education (DBE). Results from this study indicate a clear global and national pattern of barrier categories.

Redressing past cultural biases and imbalances in South Africa: a contribution by the Library of the South African National Gallery

1998 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-7
Author(s):  
Josephine Andersen
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Adult Literacy ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
National Gallery ◽  
The South ◽  
Traditional Role ◽  
Arts And Culture ◽  
Government Initiative ◽  
And Training

Legislation in South Africa now provides for the inclusion of arts and culture and adult literacy in the education system and art libraries can help promote this Government initiative by distributing their resources widely. The Library of the South African National Gallery is playing an unusual and non-traditional role in helping redress past inequities. It uses visual art, with its concern with expression and communication, to encourage adult learning and stimulate articulacy by encouraging learners to ‘read’ texts from the mass media and visual artworks in order to develop skills in all kinds of literacy. SANG’s project shows how language and artworks can be linked together productively, contributing to the basic education and training of adults.

scholarly journals Problematizing the concept ‘epistemological access’: A review of literature

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucinda Du Plooy
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
South African ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
Review Of Literature ◽  
Font Size ◽  
Black Line ◽  
South African Education

<em><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;" lang="EN-GB">This paper provides a review of literature which aims at problematizing the concept ‘epistemological access”, a fairly under-researched topic in South African education. Morrow’s distinction between formal access (institutional access) and epistemological access (access to the goods distributed by the institution) is used as a conceptual framework. We argue that the meaning of the concept ‘epistemological access’ as Morrow intended </span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">was borne out of a particular political need that arose in higher education; the need to democratize access to higher education. The dearth of literature on the concept “epistemological access” and its meaning for access to basic education, especially foundation phase schooling, therefore warranted this literature review.</span></em>

scholarly journals Predicting Schoolteachers' Intention and Behaviour of Promoting Cyber-Safety Awareness

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 119-125
Author(s):  
Kagisho Mabitle ◽  
◽  
Elmarie Kritzinger
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Theory Of Planned Behaviour ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Subjective Norms ◽  
Information And Communications Technology ◽  
Internet Usage ◽  
Communications Technology ◽  
Safety Awareness ◽  
Security Practices ◽  
Cyber Safety

School learners are attractive candidates for cyber-safety attacks. Advances in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) devices, and the surge in Internet usage, poses significant risks to users with poor cyber-safety awareness and security practices. An example of such users are school learners. Therefore, school learners should be made aware of cyber-safety or safe Internet usage, through awareness programmes as early as possible. Applying the classical Theory of Planned Behaviour in a survey of 109 schoolteachers across 18 schools in 2 districts, the results of a multiple regression analysis unveil that: 1) attitude does not predict the schoolteachers’ intention to raise cyber-safety awareness at their schools in the next 12 months, nor does it predict the schoolteachers’ behaviour of raising cyber-safety awareness in their teaching; and 2) subjective norms and perceived behavioural control predict the schoolteachers’ intention and behaviour. In light of this, the South African Department of Basic Education (DBE) is encouraged to identify influential schoolteachers (i.e. phase heads, sports and cultural coordinators, principals and their deputies, etc.), and to groom them into cyber-safety awareness advocates, for the purposes of influencing other teachers or their peers. Also, the DBE should provide teachers with the requisite resources, opportunities, and support which facilitates cyber-safety awareness in schools, to empower teachers to adopt this highly desired behaviour.

scholarly journals A critical analysis of the learners’ constitutional rights to basic education in South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raj Mestry
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
South African ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Constitutional Rights ◽  
Religious Discrimination ◽  
Steady Growth ◽  
Admission Policies ◽  
Past Injustices

Globally, several countries have been proposing to make primary education compulsory and freely available to all. Although there has been steady growth in learner enrolment in South African public schools since 1994, the socio-economic status of parents, racial and religious discrimination, high cost of school fees and schools’ language policies have prevented poor learners from accessing basic education, especially in public schools located within affluent areas. This paper critically examines legislation and policies relating to children’s constitutional rights to basic education. The government’s mandate to redress past injustices and concentrate on social justice and equity in public education is hampered by the failure of many schools tocorrectly interpret or consistently apply legislation and regulations relating to learner admissions. It has been found that the admission policies drawn up by school governing bodies (SGB) covertly prevent poor learners from enrolling at affluent schools. Although school admissions have been contested in various court cases, governing bodies of some affluent public schools continue to practise unfairness in opening its doors to all children. To ensure that social justice and equity prevail in school education, the Department of Education should revise policies or amend existing legislation encouraging SGBs to provide learner access without any prejudice.

scholarly journals The educational research landscape on GIS integration and challenges – globally and in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-80
Author(s):  
Elfrieda M-L Fleischmann ◽  
Christo P. van der Westhuizen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Mixed Method Study ◽  
Global Trend ◽  
Gis Integration ◽  
Depth Interviews

As Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have only been included in the curriculum in the last decade, many educators globally struggle to integrate GIS practice into their teaching strategies. Following the global trend, South African educators might feel ill-equipped as they did not receive formal GIS training in a higher education institution. This paper highlights key global and South African challenges regarding GIS integration. To compare the challenges that South Africa faces with those experienced elsewhere, this mixed-method study gleaned data from student educators (n=78) who completed a questionnaire regarding their GIS FET Phase education, followed by in-depth interviews with FET Phase educators (n=10) and two provincial heads of Geography for the Department of Basic Education (DBE). Results from this study indicate a clear global and national pattern of barrier categories.

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