The analysis of anti-racist perspectives and policies of the new education dispensation in South Africa

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Date
1998
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Abstract
The researcher sought to investigate the antiracist approach in education which has been adopted by the Government of National Unity (GNU). The changes that have taken place in education since 1994 inform this research. The study therefore purports to reveal some of these changes as they relate to anti-racism. In the early 1990s the open school system was incepted. Historical White schools were open to other racial groups particularly Africans. That was an antiracist approach which confronted institutional racism. The researcher established a view that African education was fraught with crisis as emanating from unequal educational opportunities between Africans and Whites in particular. In this. study the researcher has tried to document various aspects of inequality in education. These aspects resulted to the movement of African learners to traditional White schools. White learners were not attracted into traditional African schools. This study attempted to emphasise the importance of anti-racist education in creating equal educational opportunities between Africans and their White counterparts. The researcher decided to state her problem in a question form like this: Does anti-racist education in South Africa have any role to play in eliminating inequalities that characterise the South African education system? The aims of the study included investigating: strategies employed by the GNU in implementing equal education. The role of educators in restoring the culture of learning in African schools. These aims necessitated the utilisation of literature review, interview and empirical survey as research tools. This study revealed that African schools are underdeveloped as compared to historical White schools. The findings also pointed out that some Whites still adhere to the idea of White superiority and African inferiority. This master-servant attitude also became the major focal point of the discussion of anti-racist education. Among some recommendations that the researcher made, the following can be cited: The provision of African schools with additional resources in order to bring equity which would yield equal educational opportunities. The compensatory programme should be launched to change personal views of inferiority held by culturally deprived, disadvantaged learners to enable them to compete in the new cultural and socio-economic demands. There should be racial awareness programmes in order to inculcate common values of respect, tolerance and acceptance across racial groups.
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Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfilment ofthe requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION in the Department of Philosophy of Education at the University of Zululand, 1998.
Keywords
Education and state--South Africa., education dispensation--South Africa
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