Abstract:
This research report focuses on educators’ current attitudes, skills and knowledge in relation to
democracy in South African education today. The research report also considers what needs to be
done to make democracy a reality that informs education as opposed to simply adhering to policy and
legislation that speaks of fine ideals but may well have limited impact on the lives of the majority of
South Africa’s citizens. I contend that one of the main barriers between democratic theory and practice
is ambiguity and the resulting uncertainty and insecurity. I believe that many South Africans, many
world citizens in fact, struggle to articulate what democracy actually means. If this grey area is to be
addressed and ambiguity defused then educators need to be clear about what it is they are trying to
educate learners for. This can only be realised when educators have internalised ‘lived democracy’
and, as a result, feel both an ownership and commitment to democracy as a lived practice.
