3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Double consciousness :a comparative approach to interpreting the experiences of Black female pupils in a predominantly Black well-resourced and historically White school in South Africa?(2019) Ntaka, NoxoloAn abundance of literature – recounting the history of apartheid education policy and desegregation within secondary schools – undoubtedly exists. However, the same cannot be said with regards to literature that equally speaks to the educational experiences of black womxn in South Africa during and post-apartheid. This gap in effect means that conversations around transformation and decolonisation within schools remains, to a large extent, limited to race and excludes the valuable perspectives that come from black womxn. Through a comparative analysis, this dissertation seeks to examine how twenty young black South African womxn, who are alumni of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls and Pretoria High School for Girls, have made sense of their former schooling environments. The intent of this is two-fold: firstly, it seeks to analyse how these two groups of womxn – from different socio-economic backgrounds and school contexts – have navigated the space that is their previous educational institution and how this has impacted their own identities over the years. Secondly, this research intends to closely examine whether W.E.B DuBois’ notion of “Double Consciousness” (1903), can be used as theoretical framework in exploring the identity formation of these black womxn. By doing this, I seek to solicit the similarities, differences and nuances in how these two groups of black womxn have articulated their realities. This research thus centres the experiences of young black womxn in conversations pertaining to decolonisation and transformation regarding South Africa’s educational policy. Furthermore, it delves into the intersecting importance of race, class and gender in order to convey the varying levels and subtleties at which double consciousness may manifest. These two schools, and in the context of the experiences of these black womxn, are but microcosms of South African society at-large, its history and offers us an opportunity to not shy away from being critical of what the idea of “progress” has meant in schools and for young black girls in relation to key challenges on representation, identity and black subjectivity.Item Perceptions of efficiency and accountability in the public service within the public education sector: A comparison between South Africa and Tanzania(2018) Mutungi, Winnie PeterHuman capital plays a vital role in the economic development of a country. The provision of education is one among the several strategies to ensuring a developed and competitive human capital. At an initial stage, primary education is a necessity for the population. Thus several factors such as developed infrastructure, better learning environment, availability of equipped and well trained teaching staff and so forth are crucial to ensure the provision of education. This research aims to critically analyse how the perceptions of efficiency and accountability of the public service within the public education sector influence the enrolment and pass rate. Thus the main research question is “how do the perceptions of efficiency and accountability in the public service within the public education sector influence the enrolment and pass rate at the primary level education by drawing a comparison between South Africa and Tanzania?” This research is an explanatory case study taking a qualitative approach. The main tool for data collection was an open-ended questionnaire which was distributed to the selected samples. The unit of analysis in this study is a selection of key public primary schools and public office divisions in the selected municipalities. Moreover, the main theoretical framework that shapes this study is the theorisation of the Old Public and New Public Management model. The findings from the selected samples in the municipalities indicated that the perceptions of efficiency and accountability within the public service have an average influence towards the enrolment and pass rate at the primary level education. Thus recommendations to enhance the perceptions of efficiency are; emphasise on practices that ensure increased result orientation, the government should facilitate arrangements that increase flexibility, enhance methods for strengthening competitive pressures amongst educators and address non-monetary incentives. Furthermore, recommendations to enhance the perceptions of accountability are; school principals or head teachers should take on an active role as managers for the public office they oversee, emphasis on transparency in the allocation of funds, formulation and implementation of policies, effective and responsible usage of the social media platforms and provide the right information to the public.Item Policy interpretation and sensemaking by KZN provincial officials with reference to the private schools and norms and standards for school funding(2016) Majola, Xolani CArguing for the understanding of policy and its implementation as a multi-dimensional process, this study explores how provincial officials interpret and implement policy. It uses the context of the National Norms and Standards for School Funding (NNSSF) aimed at KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) independent schools to study what happens on the ground in relation to policy implementation. The aim is to explore knowledge and experience residing within local implementation contexts. It presents policy implementation from an interpretive perspective highlighting how provincial officials receive, interpret and transmit policy meanings. This research was conducted using a qualitative methodology. It is based on a case study of three KZN provincial officials in head office and one in the district office, sampled on a purposive basis. The interviews were administered to elicit responses from participants. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse data collected through interviews in order to discover among other things patterns, concepts, themes, and meanings. Premised on the theory of sense-making in policy; the study concludes that how policy is interpreted or understood depends largely on the repertoire of skills, knowledge, and experience of its implementers (Spillane, 2002). The research makes three key recommendations for policy, implementation, and research: 1. Allow local knowledge to flourish by engaging more with local implementers of policy as intelligent individual sense-makers and contributors. 2. Decentralise the system by delegating some decision-making powers to district and circuit levels. For example, allow them to have the power to advertise posts; make appointments; and perform other related duties that will contribute towards efficient implementation. 3. Capacitate district directorates through constant training and support. Chapter 1 introduces the study’s historical foundations and explains the underlying factors that influenced its composition; chapter 2 presents a literature review; chapter 3 outlines the research methodology; chapter 4 describes the data collection; and chapter 5 offers a summary, discussion, conclusions and implications.Item Decentralization of schools in South Africa: a study of two SGBs(2016) Melaphi, NompumeleloThe aim of this research was to analyze the restructuring of the post-apartheid South African education system through the decentralization introduced in the South African Schools Act of 1996 (SASA). SASA was intended to construct a new education landscape for school governance involving School Governing Bodies (SGBs) and founded on participation and partnership between state, parents, learner, school staff and community. SASA ostensibly bestowed powers upon the SGBs, however this research explores whether the schools used in the study were really empowered by SASA. Two schools were investigated, one in an affluent area and the other in an underprivileged area. The investigation was in context of the impact of decentralisation of service delivery in developing countries, the adoption of SASA and reforms in the education system from apartheid to date. A qualitative methodology was used and analysis of fourteen semi-structured interviews produced four findings. First, the study corroborated others which suggest that neoliberalism is imbedded in South African public schools and that parents have to pay for quality education. Second, the SGB from the Privileged School executed their projects and tasks well as compared to the Underprivileged School, since its SGB involved parents that were professionals, with financial backing and the know how to fund raise so that the school was able to provide resources for the learners. Third, the minimal use of SASA powers was not the sole reason for inequality in educational provision, the study also looked into the apartheid historical past which also contributed to inequality Finally the post-apartheid (Bantu) education system was a contributing factor to the Underprivileged School SGB’s incapability to utilise all its powers in that ‘Bantu education’ had failed to equip parents from underprivileged backgrounds with the knowledge to exercise all the powers granted to them by SASA, in particular, most parent/s from the underprivileged school had not been equipped with professional degrees or acquired significant skills to confidently partake in the SGB. The study concludes that SASA seems to have not fully taken cognisance of the realities of SGBs in the Underprivileged School since it seems likely, based on my single case study, that their members would not be able to fully implement all the powers given to them by SASA, indicating the need for state intervention.Item Implications of public funding for early learning in South Africa: a case of Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality in Gauteng(2016) Leshoele, MoorosiPreschool education is arguably one of the most important phases of education throughout the entire education system. This research report was aimed at exploring broad implications of dissemination of public funds (or lack thereof) in the earliest years of learning, what is generally known as Early Childhood Development Education. It found that whilst current public funding modalities have played a tremendous role in helping ECD practitioners reach more children, the magnitude of these funds and overall investments on the sector have been very little. Of the three sub-categories of ECD centres (registered, unregistered, and Grade R) sampled in this study, the latter was found to have gained the most from the recent increases (albeit small) in funding of ECDs. The study found that a large majority (80%) of preschool practitioners know about funding support offered by the state, however, they were not sure how it was allocated, and how they could access it. Central to the findings of this research report is the turbulent policy environment that the ECD sector has been facing due to uncoordinated interventions which only culminated into a single overarching draft national policy of 2015, which is still under scrutiny. Second to this, are the structural and operational challenges such as inadequate monitoring and evaluation of preschools by government, poor management of financial records by preschools, lack of adequate infrastructure and learning materials, and widespread red tape in registration and application of funds processes.Item The DHET's approach to establishing a credible mechanism for skills planning in South Africa(2016) Alphonsus, Naomi SumangalaSkills in South Africa are seen as essential for building the economy. This is why the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) sees developing a skills planning mechanism as important in the current context. The 2013 White Paper on the Post-School Education and Training System says that the function of skills planning should be centralized in DHET, with support from universities and/or other national research institutes. More specifically, DHET (2013) suggests that skills planning is required in the short, medium, and long term in order to shape the education system accordingly to meet the demand for skills. The literature on skills planning is full of debates on the kinds of skills planning that are possible in different contexts of economic and education systems. There are different notions of what skills planning is, how possible it is to predict skills demand, and how this should be done. There are also differences in ways in which economies are managed which have direct implications for skills planning. However imperfect, skills planning is needed as it provides an indication of what skills are needed to enable development in the country and provide guidance for the state to support initiatives. This study investigates the emerging skills planning mechanism in South Africa, the views of different stakeholders in this process and the projects that form part of skills planning. It argues that in the South African environment, skills planning has focused on the elements potentially needed to plan skills, however it is unclear how these elements will work together in a skills planning mechanismItem Structural inequalities between Model C and rural schools: the case of Luphisi in Mbombela(2016-07-13) Nyundu, AndileSince the dawn of democracy in South Africa, significant strides have been made in (ensuring equal access to) education. With that Section 29 of the highest law in the land – the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) – has made provision for the realisation of a basic education for all citizens. Moreover, significant portions of the national budget have since been set aside annually in ensuring the realisation of this right. Yet, the quality of education remains unequal across municipal space(s), even against the backdrop of the amalgamation of previously disadvantaged spaces (such as Luphisi) with affluent areas (such as Mbombela/Nelspruit). This has resulted in the persistence of ‘two worlds of education’ within municipalities as in the case of Mbombela Local Municipality. A world of well-resourced schools and exceptional matric pass rates flourish in Nelspruit/Mbombela, while a world of impoverishment and low academic performance rates is experienced in Luphisi. This research refers to this predicament as ‘structural inequalities between Model C and Rural Schools’ resulting in spatial educational inequalities. The research explores the problems re structural inequalities between Model C and Rural Schools, using the case of Sdungeni Secondary School in Mbombela Local Municipality’s Luphisi village to uncover these hindrances. The report departed by focusing on birth location and the socioeconomic background of learners and how this has a great influence in the kind of education a learner is likely to receive. Using the qualitative method of enquiry, which is a multi-layered type of research technique that crosscuts disciplines, fields, and subjects, the study arrived at presenting a cohort and demonstration of multiple truths rather than ‘a single truth’. The research brought to light that whilst the government has made concerted efforts at ensuring the equal structures of education in different municipal spaces, these efforts are still hampered by class (as a residue of apartheid) as well as government’s adoption of neoliberalist policies which further perpetuate the rich-poor divide. It was also noted that the confusion regarding the governance of schools – due in large part to traditional and/or structural issues – may be hindering the upgrading of rural schools with amenities and higher grades. Consequently, schools – by virtue of their location, morphology, still play a significant role in reproducing and perpetuating social class divisions as well as ordering different societies according to their ‘latently prescribed’ nature(s) of functionItem Die strewe van die " Council of Education" van Johannesburg vergelyk met die van die manne van "Christelike-Nasionale Onderwys"(2015-01-22) Gregory, Morgan JenkinsItem Is affirmative action in education defensible?(2014-05-20) Mabaso, AbrahamThis study investigates the defensibility of affirmative action in education. The struggle against apartheid society and apartheid education has also been a struggle to build a democratic society and a democratic way of learning. For South Africa, the children's education should be compatible with the ideals of democratic society. In order to rectify the racist discrimination and insensitivity of the apartheid regime we need to promote the ideal of complex equality. This report argues that affirmative action is not a defensible strategy for the pursuit in education as part of the process of consolidating democracy in South Africa. The notion of equality is best understood in terms of Michael Walzer’s concept of complex equality (as against simple equality). The concept of complex equality can be used to explicate the inadequacies of affirmative action. An account of education is developed which emphasizes complex equality. The application of affirmative action in education presupposes a shallow understanding of education. The pursuit of democracy through education is best promoted through a notion of complex equality because it takes into consideration the plurality of South African society.