Wie maak die keuse? Die aard van skoolkeuse in 'n bolandse dorp.

Date
2018-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT : School choice is regarded as the right of every person in South Africa, but there are mechanisms that are used to determine how learners access schools. This study was about the nature of school choice in a Boland town. The methodology that was followed in this study was qualitative in nature within an interpretive paradigm. Using a focus group discussion and semi-structured interviews, the context of two parents’ school choices was examined. Semi-structured interviews were also used to gain the different schools perspective on how admissions are implemented. Policies that influence school choice were also examined using document analysis. Some of the policies that were examined were the South African Constitution, the South African Schools Act of 1996, amendments to the South African Schools Act of 1996 and the admission policies of the two schools used in the study. The theoretical lens that was used in this study was that of Bourdieu’s reproduction theory. The focus was placed on Bourdieu’s concepts ‘field’, ‘habitus’ and ‘capital’. This study found that middle-class parents are advantaged when making school choices, and these parents are also more likely than working-class parents to get their first choice in schools. In terms of the South African Schools Act of 1996, the School Governing Body is responsible for the design of a number of policies, including the admissions policy. In terms of the Act, as well as the South African Constitution, every learner needs to be afforded equal opportunities, which means that the admission policy of a school cannot unfairly discriminate against any learner. However, among the key findings of this study, it was found that parents invest in their children’s education by gaining access to the best schools they have the ability to access. Parents have different factors that they deem as important when making school choice and use these factors in determining a school for their children. Further findings in this study determined that schools accept learners according to the schools admission policies, and schools that receive more applicants can compare the learner’s according to the schools admission criteria so that the schools only accept the best suited candidates for the school. It was also found that quality education is difficult to be defined, and parents would like to gain access to schools that offers quality education. Schools on the other hand, does not attribute quality education to the admission of learners, but rather to the discipline at the school, the academically performance of the school, the processes the school use to ensure quality education and use the amount of applicants as an indication of how the schools is preforming.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Skoolkeuse word beskou as ʼn reg van elke persoon in Suid-Afrika, maar daar is tog meganismes wat bepaal hoe leerders toegang tot skole verkry. Hierdie studie het oor die aard van skoolkeuse in ʼn Bolandse dorp gehandel. Die metodologie wat gevolg is, was kwalitatief van aard binne die interpretatiewe navorsingsparadigma. Die agtergrond van twee ouers se skoolkeuse is ondersoek met behulp van ʼn fokusgroepbespreking en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is ook gebruik om die verskillende skole se perspektiewe van hoe toelating plaasvind by die studie te voeg. Beleide wat skoolkeuse beïnvloed, is ook met behulp van dokumentanalise ondersoek. Die beleide wat in hierdie studie ondersoek is, was onder meer die Grondwet van Suid-Afrika, die Suid-Afrikaanse Skolewet van 1996, wysigings van die Suid-Afrikaanse Skolewet van 1996 en die twee skole se toelatingsbeleide wat in die studie ondersoek is. Die teoretiese lens wat in hierdie studie aangewend is, was dié van Bourdieu se reproduksieteorie. Daar is gevolglik klem gelê op Bourdieu se begrippe ‘veld’, ‘habitus’ en ‘kapitaal’. Hierdie studie het bevind dat middelklasouers bevoordeel word wat skoolkeuse betref en dat middelklasouers meer geneig is, teenoor werkersklasouers, om hulle eerste skoolkeuse te kry. Ingevolge die Suid-Afrikaanse Skolewet van 1996, is skoolbeheerliggame verantwoordelik vir die opstel van toelatingsbeleide. Ingevolge die wet, sowel as die Suid-Afrikaanse Grondwet, moet elke leerder gelyke geleenthede kry, wat beteken dat die toelatingsbeleid van 'n skool nie onbillik teen enige leerder kan diskrimineer nie. Onder meer die belangrikste bevindinge van hierdie studie, is egter bevind dat ouers in hul kinders se onderwys belê deur toegang tot die beste skole in die ouers se vermoë vir hul kinders te verkry. Ouers het verskillende faktore wat hulle as belangrik beskou wanneer hulle skoolkeuses maak en hierdie faktore word gebruik om 'n skool vir hul kinders te bepaal. Verdere bevindinge in hierdie studie het bepaal dat skole leerders volgens die skool se toelatingsbeleid aanvaar en skole wat meer aansoekers ontvang, kan die leerder volgens die toelatingsvereistes van die skole vergelyk sodat die skole slegs die beste geskikte kandidate vir die skool aanvaar. Daar is ook bevind dat kwaliteit-onderwys moeilik omskryf kan word, en ouers wil toegang verkry tot skole wat kwaliteit-onderwys bied. Skole daarenteen skryf nie die kwaliteit van onderwys toe aan die toelating van leerders nie, maar eerder by die dissipline by die skool, die akademiese prestasie van die skool, die prosesse wat die skool gebruik om kwaliteitonderwys te verseker en gebruik die aantal aansoekers as 'n aanduiding van hoe die skole presteer.
Description
Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2018.
Keywords
Access to education, School choice -- South Africa -- Western Cape, Schools -- Admission policies, South Africa -- South African Schools Act, 1996, Bourdieu, Pierre, 1930-2002 -- Concepts, UCTD
Citation