Basic educational reform and provision of quality education in South Africa (1994-2018): A tentative exploration of policy in the making

Date
2022-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Quality education as a human right and its emphasis in education policy have garnered much attention in education research. Emphasis has also been placed on what children learn in school, as well as the features of a quality education. Research on education in South Africa is well documented. Much of the existing research focuses on inequality in education, especially the lack of provision of quality education for the majority of learners in South African schools. Quality education includes the provision of learning opportunities that are conducive to mastering basic literacy and numeracy skills as enablers of success in subjects across the curriculum. Various international, regional, and localised South African tests indicate that the mastery of these skills is influenced by the availability of relevant resources and socio-economic conditions, which in South Africa vary greatly between provinces, and even within provinces. The aim of this study was to critically discuss and analyse the role and influence of policy changes within South African basic education (1994-2018) in the provision of quality education in public primary schools. The study followed a qualitative research approach and is partly inductive in nature. For purposes of answering the three research questions that drove this research project, a hybrid approach was followed, which was rooted in a multiple case study design. This was divided into three major political administrations during the period 1994 to 2018 to indicate policy changes that occurred with the change in leadership and agendas that had a notable influence on policy implementation and other challenges in the educational context. Data on literacy and numeracy levels (and quality education) were collected from available literature, governmental and other stakeholder literature, and the works of reputable education researchers. These works were analysed using the document-analysis method. The study employed models of public policy analysis to elucidate the challenges associated with the South African policy environment and the influence thereof on quality education provision in public primary schools. The findings indicated that the quality of education and the attainment of literacy and numeracy levels differ between provinces, and correlate with the languages through which learners acquire literacy and numeracy skills. Poverty levels and parental involvement also differ from province to province. Political instability, state corruption, socio-economic inequality, limitations on social mobility, a poorly educated workforce, and socio-economic conditions all deepen challenges in the education system in general, and the achievement of essential levels of literacy and numeracy in particular. Apartheid’s legacy still impedes the provision of equitable quality education. Provision is also confounded by hasty and poor decision making and a lack of collaborative decision making, which are compounded by unprecedented levels of corruption. Various policy inadequacies exist, especially in terms of language policy in schools, as well as the management of schools. This, along with huge educational backlogs and learning deficits that span centuries, have perpetuated the cycles of ineffective learning in the South African educational landscape. The study recommends that quality provision in schools be tackled from various levels in the collaborative climate envisaged by education policies by adopting the Eastonian feedback loop. Participatory spaces that enable critical citizen engagement need to be established with targeted information sessions, especially for the most vulnerable societies (such as those found in rural areas) with high poverty and unemployment levels. Given the crucial role of teachers and other role players in the learning process, the South African Department of Education needs to finalise the policy on teacher and educator accountability, and accountability should be a core part of all spheres of government. For any initiative to work, structures need to be in place for accountability, competence, and consequences for not living up to required skills and knowledge standards, as emphasised in the national government’s framework for democratic public participation.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kwaliteitonderrig as ’n basiese mensereg, asook die manier waarop dit aangespreek word in onderwysbeleid, is tot op hede deeglik bestudeer in onderwysnavorsing. Daar word in die literatuur veral klem gele op leerinhoud en die kenmerke van kwaliteitonderrig. In die goedgedokumenteerde navorsing oor onderwys in Suid-Afrika is daar ’n sterk fokus op ongelykhede in die onderwys, met spesifieke verwysing na die onvoldoende voorsiening van kwaliteitonderrig aan die meerderheid van leerders in Suid-Afrikaanse skole. Kwaliteitonderrig sluit die voorsiening van leergeleenthede in wat bevorderlik is vir die bemeestering van basiese geletterdheids- en syferdheidsvaardighede as aktiveerders van sukses in alle vakke in die kurrikulum. Verskeie internasionale, streeks-, en plaaslike Suid-Afrikaanse toetse dui daarop dat die bemeestering van hierdie vaardighede beinvloed word deur die beskikbaarheid van toepaslike hulpbronne en sosio-ekonomiese omstandighede. In Suid-Afrika is daar ’n groot onderskeid ten opsigte van beskikbare hulpbronne en sosio-ekonomiese omstandighede; nie slegs tussen provinsies nie, maar selfs binne provinsies. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die rol en invloed van beleidsveranderinge in die Suid-Afrikaanse basiese onderwysstroom in die voorsiening van kwaliteitonderrig in openbare primere skole krities te ontleed en te bespreek. Die studie het ’n kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodologie gevolg en was deels induktief van aard. ’n Hibriede benadering, geanker in ’n veelvallige gevallestudieontwerp, is gevolg om die drie navorsingsvrae waarop die studie gebaseer is aan te spreek. Die gevallestudies het die drie groot politieke administrasies tydens die periode 1994 tot 2018 betrek ten einde aan te dui watter beleidsveranderinge ten opsigte van leierskap en agendas gedurende hierdie tydperk ’n noemenswaardige invloed gehad het op beleidsimplementering en ander uitdagings in die opvoedkundige konteks. Data rondom geletterdheids- en gesyferdheidsvlakke (en kwaliteitonderrig) is versamel vanuit die beskikbare literatuur, regerings-, en ander belanghebbende publikasies, sowel as die werke van erkende onderwysnavorsers. Dokumentontleding is gebruik om die data te ontleed. Modelle van openbare beleidsontleding is gebruik ten einde die uitdagings in die openbare beleidsomgewing te bepaal, sowel as die invloed daarvan op die voorsiening van kwaliteitonderrig in openbare primere skole in Suid-Afrika. Die bevindings dui daarop dat kwaliteitonderrig, sowel as geletterdheids- en gesyferdheidsvlakke, tussen provinsies verskil en dat hierdie vlakke ook korreleer met die tale waarin leerlinge geletterdheid en gesyferdheid moet bemeester. Daarby verskil armoedevlakke en ouerbetrokkendheid ook grootliks tussen provinsies. Politieke onstabiliteit, staatskorrupsie, sosio-ekonomiese ongelykheid, beperkings op sosiale mobiliteit, ’n swak-opgevoede arbeidsmag, en sosio-ekonomiese omstandighede vererger die uitdagings in die onderwysstelsel in die algemeen, en geletterdheid en gesyferdheid in besonder. Apartheid se nalatenskap belemmer steeds die voorsiening van billike kwaliteitonderrig. Verder word die voorsiening van kwaliteitonderrig bemoeilik deur swak, ondeurdagte besluitneming, asook ’n gebrek aan samewerkende besluitneming, asook ongekende vlakke van korrupsie. Ontoereikende beleide ten opsigte van taal en bestuur in skole en massiewe onderwysagterstande wat oor eeue strek dra ook by tot die voortgesette siklusse van ondoeltreffende onderrig in die Suid-Afrikaanse opvoedkundige omgewing. Hierdie studie beveel aan dat kwaliteitsvoorsiening in skole aangepak word vanaf verskillende vlakke binne ’n klimaat van samewerking, soos beskryf in die onderwysbeleid, met die implementering van die Eastonian terugvoerlus. Ruimte moet geskep word vir burgerlike deelname wat ook gepaard gaan met geteikende inligtingsessies, veral vir die mees kwesbare samelewings (soos die in landelike gebiede) waar armoede en werkloosheid hoogty vier. Gegewe die belangrike rol van onderwysers en ander rolspelers in die leerproses is dit noodsaaklik dat onderwysbeleid ten opsigte van onderwyser- en opvoederaanspreeklikheid gefinaliseer word deur die Departement van Onderwys. Aanspreeklikheid is in der waarheid onontbeerlik in elke faset van die regering. Vir die sukses van enige inisiatief moet daar strukture wees vir aanspreeklikheid, bevoegdheid, en gevolge wanneer daar nie aan standaarde ten opsigte van vaardigheid en kundigheid voldoen word nie, soos beklemtoon in die nasionale regering se raamwerk vir demokratiese openbare deelname.
Description
Thesis (MMil)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
Keywords
Basic education -- South Africa, Educational change -- South Africa, Education -- Standards -- South Africa, South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994-, Primary school teaching -- South Africa, UCTD
Citation