THE SCHOOL AS A RECONSTRUCTION AGENT IN MAMELODI
by
MABULE ESROM MODIBA
DISSERTATION submitted in fulfilment of the degree
MAGISTER PHILOSOPHIA -
in
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
in the
FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND NURSING
at the
RAND AFRIKAANS UNIVERSITY
SUPERVISOR: PROF JB SMITH CO-SUPERVISOR: PROF A SENEKAL
NOVEMBER 1998 ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I wish to express my appreciation to the following persons and institutions.
My supervisor, Prof JB Smith, for his untiring, professional guidance and support during my years of study. My co-supervisor, Prof A Senekal, for his critical sociological evaluation of this study. Some principals, departmental heads, teachers, pupils, management councils of Mamelodi schools and also community leaders and business people who assisted me in the completion of the questionnaire. My wife Margrietta and children Mpho, Mamolewa, Mape and Mahlodi for their patience and tolerance during the period of my study. My two brothers, Mape (senior), Matome and two sisters Mantsha and Makgano for their great moral support. My friends, Rinkie Mentoor, Rev. MS Molebale, Father G Brunner, Jan Roodbol and JB Nkosi for their encouragement. Mr Mathews Laka at the Mamelodi Teachers' Centre who allowed me the use of some of the facilities. Miss Amelia du Plessis and Mrs S Gouws for their co-operation in typing. Mrs Sheila Hastie for correcting the language. a The Almighty God who gave me the necessary strength, perseverance and grace to complete this study.
Ken Horn in al jou wee, dan sal by jou paaie gelykmaak. Spreuke 3:6 iii
DEDICATION
This study is dedicated to my late parents Mothwale and Mamolewa Modiba as well as my late grandparents Mape and Rebecca Modiba iv
SINOPSIS
In die nuwe Suid-Afrika word herhalend na die Heropbou en Ontwikkelingsprogram verwys. Verskeie instansies is tans besig om hierdie program toe te pas om sodoende die lewenspeil van alle Suid-Afrikaners (veral diegene wat in die verlede minder bevoordeeld was) aan te spreek. Hierdie studie probeer om sover moontlik te bepaal tot wafter mate, skole, veral in Mamelodi, 'n bydrae kan lewer tot die verbetering van die gemeenskap as geheel.
'n Vraelys is opgetel en verskillende belanghebbendes is genader om hulle menings te verstrek. Die volgende temas word in die studie uitgelig.
Die hooftema is die skool as 'n sosiale rekonstruksie agent. Die wisseiwerking tussen die skool en die gemeenskap. Die struktuur van die Mamelodi gemeenskap word ook aangespreek.
Uit die studie word bevind dat die Mamelodi gemeenskap nog nie die begrip, Heropbou en Ontwikkelingsprogram begryp het nie, en dat die betrokkenheid van die ouers in die onderwys van hulle kinders veel te wense oorlaat. V TABLE OF CONTENT
PAGE CHAPTER 1: THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL AS A RECON- STRUCTION AGENT IN MAMELODI 1.1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.2 THE PROBLEM STATEMENT AND THE AIM OF THE STUDY 4 1.2.1 Problem statement 4 1.2.2 The aim of the research 4 1.3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 5 1.3.1 Literature study 5 1.3.2 Concept analysis 5 1.3.3 Phenomenon description 6 1.3.4 An empirical qualitative research of stakeholders' views by way of focus group interviews 6 1.4 ELUCIDATION OF CONCEPTS 6 1.4.1 The school: Etymology 7 1.4.2 The school: Definition 7 1.4.3 Community and society 9 1.4.4 Reconstruction and reconciliation 12 1.5 OUTLINE OF THE STUDY 14
CHAPTER 2: MAMELODI AS A COMMUNITY 2.1 INTRODUCTION AND AIM 15 2.2 THE FAMILY AS A BASIC ELEMENT IN A COMMUNITY 15 2.2.1 The family 15 2.2.1.1 The nuclear family 16 2.2.1.2 The extended family 16 2.2.1.3 The single parent family 17 2.2.2 Conclusion 17 2.3 CHARACTERISTICS OF MAMELODI COMMUNITY 18 2.3.1 Welfare organisations 18 vi PAGE 2.3.2 Legal and law enforcement 18 2.3.3 Education 18 2.3.4 Businesses 19 2.3.5 Religion 19 2.3.6 Sports groups 19 2.3.7 Summary 20 2.4 SOCIAL PROBLEMS 20 2.4.1 Population explosion 22 2.4.2 Housing 22 2.4.3 Education 24 2.4.4 Inadequate socialisation 24 2.4.5 Unemployment 25 2.4.6 Estrangement and alienation 25 2.4.7 Social uncertainty 26 2.4.8 Crisis in norms and values 27 2.5 PROBLEMS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED BY THE SCHOOL 28 2.5.1 Behaviour problems 28 2.5.2 Contributions towards solving the problem of unemployment 29 2.5.3 Contributions towards solving the problem of failure in schools 30 Contributions towards solving disciplinary problems 32 2.5.5 Contributions towards solving the problem of socialisation 33 2.6 CONCLUSION 34
CHAPTER 3: THE TASK OF A SCHOOL AS A SOCIAL RECONSTRUCTION AGENT WITH REFERENCE TO MAME- LODI SCHOOLS 3.1 INTRODUCTION 36 3.2 THE SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOL'S ACT 37 3.3 WHOSE PROPERTY ARE THE SCHOOLS 39 vii PAGE 3.4 RECIPROCITY AND CLOSENESS BETWEEN THE SCHOOL AND THE COMMUNITY 42 3.5 THE MANDATE OF THE SCHOOL 44 3.5.1 Intellectual development 45 3.5.2 The moral education task of the school 48 3.5.3 Emancipation task of the school 49 3.5.4 Identification with tasks and issues 50 3.5.5 Social contacts of children 50 3.6 THE SOCIALISATION TASK OF THE SCHOOL 52 3.6.1 Culture and transfer of knowledge 52 3.6.2 Learn to work 53 3.6.3 Learn to co-operate and live together 54 3.6.4 Learn to respect values 55 3.6.5 Learn to live 55 3.6.6 Schools should develop communication skills 56 3.6.7 Conclusion 57 3.7 PRACTICAL AND CONCRETE SOCIALISATION PRO- GRAMMES OF SCHOOLS 57 3.8 HIGHLIGHTS SURROUNDING SCHOOLS 62 3.9 SUMMARY 65
CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH DESIGN 4.1 INTRODUCTION 67 4.2 QUALITATIVE METHODOLOGY 68 4.3 THE FOCUSED AND STRUCTURED INDIVIDUAL INTER- VIEWS 69 4.4 HOW INDIVIDUALISED FOCUS INTERVIEWS FUNCTION 70 4.4.1 Participants 71 4.4.2 The environment 71 4.4.3 The interviewer 71 4.5 HOW TO INITIATE STRUCTURED QUESTIONS 72 viii PAGE 4.6 DOCUMENTATION 72 4.7 ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 73 4.8 INTERPRETATION OF THE 43 RESPONDENTS 75 4.9 SUMMARY 90
CHAPTER 5: FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION 5.1 INTRODUCTION 93 5.2 PROBLEM RE-STATED 93 5.3 FINDINGS 93 5.3.1 Findings from the literature 94 5.3.2 Findings from interviewees 95 5.4 RECOMMENDATIONS 95 5.5 CONCLUDING REMARKS 96
BIBLIOGRAPHY 97
ADDENDUM A: Structured questionnaire 1 CHAPTER 1
THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL AS A RECONSTRUCTION AGENT IN MAMELODI
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Schooling in South Africa has been influenced to a large extent, by socio-economic and political factors which resulted in a wide variety of schooling problems. The high failure rate of South African students in the 1995 matriculation examination as reported in "The Star" reflects the need to critically examine the effectiveness of the teaching programme (Swart & Mothibedi, 1995:1).
Duminy (1973:98) writes that for the purpose of effective teaching and learning, it is necessary that teachers observe, above all, the forces which give direction to the various levels of the individual student's thinking and response.
A state of acute change from the old to the new and the policy framework behind the renewal which transforms society is the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) of the government. The RDP offers our country a unique opportunity to bring about renewal, peace, prosperity, reconciliation and stability. It is the product of ongoing consultation and it enjoys widespread support from all sections of our society (Mandela, 1994:1).
The present situation of schooling in some of the provinces is characterised by vandalism: school buildings being burnt down, equipment damaged, theft, hip rate of burglary, etc. Many schools are without basic facilities like science equipment, teaching aids, libraries, stationery etc.
There are also a variety of problematic behaviours that undermine the culture of teaching and learning. These problems include: coming late and leaving school early; bunking classes; irregular attendance; failure to complete homework; failure to comply with reasonable dress regulations, abuse or neglect of resources necessary for learning; sexual harassment; drug-abuse; bringing weapons to school (Sowetan, 2 1995:3).
Any of these behaviours make the community of the school less effective. All these behaviours show disrespect to the school community as a whole. Mamelodi schools have also been affected by vandalism and other forms of problematic behaviours.
The family background is most important for the schooling of the child. Background conditions arising from family, social and economic circumstances all contribute to an individual's decision to leave school or to continue with schooling. Poverty, discrimination, joblessness and conflict-ridden neighbourhoods take their toll among many youths. Some students, regardless of their race or family status, develop personal problems that make continued schooling difficult or impossible. Their attitude towards schooling may become negative.
Although many of the significant components of man's social existence are persistent even if examined over considerable periods of time, society, being an open system, is constantly subject to change. Social change, being the process by which alterations occur in the structure of social systems (Rogers & Shoemaker, 1971:7) is ubiquitous, and broadly speaking entails certain tendencies and processes common to all societies. "Some accounts indicate that change in the form of culture clash and shock, has had a disorganising effect on family structure" (Steyn, 1987:28).
Two historical processes have had a profound effect on education in South Africa. The first is the political struggle for liberation. The political struggle that has become manifested in the educational context since the 1976 school riots, has had a most devastating effect on schooling. Schools have generally been used as sites for the struggle against apartheid. Matseke (1981:126) remarks that since 1976 when the Black pupil involved himself in the political situation of the country, he developed attitudes, ideas and views which alienated him from his teachers. Students felt that teachers put obstacles in their way which prevent freedom of action. As a result, there has been an erosion of the learning culture over the years. Mabandla (Sowetan, 25 May 1994) has stated that: "Excellence in the classroom did not seem to be an objective to work towards. In fact it could be said that the conditions in those classrooms were a disincentive to the pursuit of excellence both because the teacher 3 lacked full commitment to a system that was considered hostile and unresponsive, and the physical conditions, including, the provision of equipment for learning in the classroom, were not exactly conducive to proper learning."
As a result of these unfavourable learning conditions, order within the schools has been disturbed. Because of this state of affairs, the schools need transformation and renewal. The new democratic government is preparing to give direction to this process by way of a new framework of governance. This new approach must set a shining example for the restructuring of the rest of our society. "Such a renewal is a vital precondition for moving forward, following centuries of oppression and decades of formal apartheid" (Mandela, 1994, White Paper:1).
The second historical process that has had an effect on schooling in South Africa is industrialisation. It must be mentioned that because of the rapid industrial changes, the urban family, which is in transition, has lost some of its functions. The structure of the family life influences the developing personality of the child because the child needs guidance given by an adult. The urban family is no longer able to educate the child because of inconsistency in family values.
Some children can even leave schooling earlier because of negative social contacts outside the family. It is because of these two historical processes, i.e. political struggle for liberation and industrialisation that schools have been experiencing many problems.
This study will focus on the role that the schools in Mamelodi may play in the reconstruction of society. In March 1995, the Department of Education introduced a Schools' Renovation Programme which allocated funds to each school to carry out such programmes.
These school projects involve painting buildings, fixing broken windows, planting trees, repairing toilets and fixing the fence.
This is one major step of involving the communities in these various projects because some of the unemployed parents would be willing to assist. It is for this reason that 4 the study is important in viewing the school as an agent of reconstruction and how schools in Mamelodi can also contribute to this programme.
For the new spirit of reconstruction and reconciliation to prevail, it will be necessary that students, parents and the community as role players in the reconstruction process meet at regular periods to exchange ideas. According to this programme, schools will have to augment the allocation should the renovation costs exceed the budgeted limit. This is one major step in involving the communities in the various school projects.
1.2 THE PROBLEM STATEMENT AND THE AIM OF THE STUDY
The problem giving rise to research on the role of the school in the reconstruction of society, is a practical one. The question is how could the school interact with society in the education of children and so play a leading role.
1.2.1 Problem statement
The discussion above immediately poses several problems which may be summarised by means of the following questions. What are the social and educational problems confronting the community of Mamelodi? How can the school help in addressing these problems? To what extent can the school contribute towards the reconstruction of the community in Mamelodi?
Having identified problems related to schooling in Mamelodi, the aims of the research will be established.
1.2.2 The aim of the research
The aim of the research is to determine the contribution that the schools in Mamelodi can make towards the reconstruction of the community. To achieve this, the following research methodology will be used. 5 1.3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The following methods will be used in this study: literature study; concept analysis; phenomenon description and an empirical qualitative research.
1.3.1 Literature study
The researcher is faced with the task of collecting knowledge from books, magazines, newspaper and any other relevant material which is selected and implemented in a systematic manner. Landman (Smith, 1993:24) views literature study as a basic condition to any effective research. "'n Definisie van literatuurstudie sou dan wees 'n skerp, kritiese, noukeurige en sistematiese bestudering en korrekte geordende aantekening van bestaande literatuur aangaande een of ander probleemterrein" (Odendaal, 1993:8).
According to Aldum (1993:6) a literature study is done for the following reasons:
to define the borders of the field of study; to delimit the size and extent of research; to evaluate the meaningfulness of one's own findings; to be critical against other research attempts.
1.3.2 Concept analysis
A philosophical analysis consists of an analysis of concepts used in different contexts with the aim of getting full meaning or characteristics of a concept (Odendaal, 1993:8).
Conceptual analysis (Schalekamp, 1995:5) consists of two facets: word analysis and concept analysis. Word analysis embraces the search for the etymological development and the dictionary meaning of a word, also its synonyms in other languages. By so doing, greater clarity about the denotation and the intended meaning of a word is obtained. 6 1.3.3 Phenomenon description
This implies a description of a place like Mamelodi, where it is situated and its meaning. Mamelodi lies at the base and on the lower slopes of the Magaliesberg mountains which area consists mainly of shale. The town covers the valley floor as far as the railway line which used to be known as the Delagoa Bay line. The town and major route, known as Tsamaya Avenue or Ndhlazi Drive, was once the main road to Sekhukhuniland in the north eastern regions of Gauteng. Mamelodi is also said to mean the "mother" or perhaps "source" of joy or harmony/music/melody (Walker, 1991:6).
1.3.4 An empirical qualitative research of stakeholders' views by way of focus group interviews
For the purpose of this study, structured questions will be prepared and the following people in Mamelodi will be interviewed to get their different opinions about the role that the school should play in reconstruction: principals; deputy-principals; heads of department; parents; students; business people and community leaders. Carefully structured and sequenced questions would be based on a review of the literature. Candidates are told that the purpose of the interview is research, and informed about the specific topic, so that they can become interested and be ready to answer the questions. At the end of the interview, the answers are interpreted and the necessary recommendations made.
1.4 ELUCIDATION OF CONCEPTS
There are key-concepts used in this study that require elucidation. The following concepts will be defined: the school, community, society, reconstruction and reconciliation. The reason being that the concepts will be used throughout the study.
1.4.1 The school: Etymology
Before explaining the meaning of a school, attention will be focused on the meaning of the concept "etymology". The Concise Oxford Dictionary (1982:331) explains the 7 concept etymology as an account of or facts relating to formation of a word arid development of its meaning, branch of linguistic science concerned with this. The Concise Oxford Dictionary (1995:464) explains etymology as the historical verifiable courses of the formation of a word and the development of its meaning. This explanation is almost the same as the 1982 edition of the Concise Oxford Dictionary.
Hornby (1989:410) explains etymology as a study of the origin and history of words and their meanings, an account of the origin and history of a particular word.
The word school is derived from the Latin "schola" which in turn means the explanation of things as a method of examination (Gous, 1968:51). "Schola" comes from the Greek "oxoXq" (schole). Originally "oxoXri" meant "leisure". The typically Greek love for argument led to a shift in meaning to "the employment of leisure for disputation, then to "lecture" and then to "school" in something like the sense of the Latin "Schola" and of course our own "school" (Robin, 1981:32).
1.4.2 The school: Definition
According to Pounds (1968:3) "... the school is a social institution, whether under public or private auspices, which has been deliberately set up by a society. Its function is to carry on the processes of education with usually a selected group of the population. It is established to educate these persons in selected elements from the culture which the sponsoring group considers to be important and which can be best taught by the specialised school in that society". "The school as a social institution comes into being when the cultural development of a society reaches a stage where parents are no longer able to handle the specialised task of educating youngsters for a diverse society. Thus, formal school education in a society is the result of cultural development and cultural differentiation" (Barnard & Vos, 1984:34).
Cohen (Fagerlind, 1989:334) defines a school very much in its modern form that is "an institution devoted to instruction with specialised personnel, permanent physical structures, special apparatus, formal and stereotyped means of instruction, a curriculum and rationally defined manifest objectives". 8 The basic sense of "school" today is an establishment in which pupils receive instruction or, more generally, an institution in which instruction of any kind is given whether to children and/or adults" (Robin, 1981:32). The role of instruction is the one that many parents readily associate the school with. They think of a teacher as an instructor who can pass on to children the knowledge of formal skills or the three R's which will enable them to benefit from specialised vocational training later in the educational system (Goodacre, 1970:12).
There are a number of scholars who have further defined the term school. From the Verklarende Handwoordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal (1979:768) (or HAT) and The Concise Oxford Dictionary (1983:938) (or Oxford) it is clearly stated that the school is a place or an institution where instruction is given. The verb "schooling" covers a range of activities including "to send to school to chastise", to "educate" to "train" to discipline and to instruct.
Rossouw (1989:7) defines a school as such: "Die begrip dui tradisioneel op 'n onderrigleerplek, 'n oop stelsel wat gestig is om aan die onderwys en opleidingsbehoeftes van 'n bred gemeenskap to voldoen."
According to Gordon (1983:433), "...a school is not an independent or isolated entity; it operates in a social context, an important element of which is the local community."
According to Van Loggerenberg (1993:23), a school is an instrument of cultural transmission and maintenance of civilisation. Since the very nature of man and of the human situation is such that education must play a very important part in any consideration of the way in which culture is passed on from one generation to another, and the way in which cultural change itself comes about from within the culture, "a school is defined as a social institution deliberately established by a group to carry out certain educational purposes" (Butts & Freeman, 1955:2).
A further reason why a school is regarded as a social institution is because the school is in itself a cultural community in miniature - it reflects somewhere the society in which it finds itself (Van Loggerenberg, 1993:22). 9 Stones' (1972:97) definition of a school can be summed up as follows:
• The school is a societal link which comes into being for accellerated, planned organised development of the child. • The school's unlocking function stands under the guidance of a definite ground motive or mission/goal/aim. • The school functions in connection with other social relationships such as the state, the family, the church and other social, religious, sports and scientific organisations.
The definition of school could be that of an institution created by society with the main purpose of providing opportunities to acquire factual information, to develop skills and to learn to think. The objective of the school is the full development of each student's character and intellect, personal and social relationships and academic achievement. Thus, the school is an institution interested in students as persons and of their total development.
1.4.3 Community and society
The two concepts differ with regard to their structure. A community refers to people with a common origin, that is, people who have stayed together for a long time and have common political and social ties. A society may be regarded as different communities formed on a larger scale which may not necessarily have common ties.
According to Mitchell (1968:32), the term community originally denoted a collectivity of people who occupied a geographical area; people who were together engaged in economic and political activities and who essentially constituted a self-governing unit with some common values and experiencing feelings of belonging to one another.
Fellin (1987:1) views communities as social units with one or more of the following dimensions: a functional special unit, meeting sustenance needs; a unit of patterned social interaction; a symbolic unit of collective identity. 10 Locally-based communities usually have all these dimensions to some degree. Such communities are the villages, towns and cities where people reside. Neighbourhoods are social units within a local community. While neighbourhoods often display some of the dimensions of a local community, they can be identified as geographical and psychological units within the broader community.
According to Swanepoel (1992;11) a community is a unique living entity and like its people, it continuously changes physically and psychologically. It has also a continuous relationship with its own individuals, its environment and other communities.
According to Goodman and Marx (1978:63), "...a community exists when a set of households is relatively concentrated in a delimited geographical area and their residents exhibit a substantial degree of integrated social interaction, and have a sense of common membership of belonging together, which is not based exclusively on ties of consanguinity (blood-ties). Thus a community is a group whose members not only share a pattern of interaction and sense of group identity, but also live in the same territory".
Boyd (1977:41) has the following to say: "The notion of a community implies the existence of a network of reciprocal social relationships, which among other things ensure mutual aid and give those who experience it a sense of well-being." This refers to the first of the two broad interpretations namely: the sense of belonging to a group; and also having to do with the network of social relationships existing within a defined geographical area.
Louw et al. (1979:25) define a community as a collection of individuals who have a strong tendency to group identification, who have homogeneous interests and customs and who live together in a distinctive social structure within a limited geographic area and in a given period of time.
A number of communities together form a society. According to Mitchell (1968:194) the term society is one of the vaguest and most general in the sociologist's vocabulary. It may denote anything from a primitive non-literate people to a modern 11 industrial nation-state, or from the most general reference to human kind to a relativeiy small organised group of people.
Goodman and Marx (1978:560) define society as "...a relatively large, relatively autonomous collection of people who have a common heritage that is transmitted from generation to generation and who interact with one another in socially structured relationships".
From the above definitions, Mitchell's definition of a community (1986:32) is characterised by the following:
A collectivity of people. Occupying a geographical area. Engaged in economic and political activities. A self-governing unit. A feeling of belonging to one another.
For the purpose of this study, I would accept Mitchell's definition because it embraces almost all characteristics that a community has. Mamelodi has all the characteristics ascribed to a community and, as such, can be labelled a community.
1.4.4 Reconstruction and reconciliation
After a period of suppression and resistance, a new phase of rebuilding and development in the South African context has been undertaken. This process of reconstruction includes the restructuring of existing structures and practicalities such as the economy, job creation, educational opportunities and general well-being of people. Although reconstruction may mean many things to many people, it nevertheless will occur in the context of a specific country and with the full awareness of multiplicity of forms it could assume. Reconstruction and restructuring means the re-organisation of the constituent parts and relations according to a new internal principle, resulting in a new structure of meaning (identity). Reconstruction in the South African context should therefore lead to development, peace, safety, greater openness and optimism. 12 The Oxford English Dictionary explains the term "reconstruction" as applied to many schemes put forward by companies for the purpose of writing off capital which has been lost or has ceased to be represented by available assets. Mandela (1994:3) states that: "The Reconstruction and Development Programme is an integrated, coherent socio-economic policy framework. It seeks to mobilise all our people and our country's resources towards the final eradication of the results of apartheid and the building of a democratic, non-racial and non-sexist future. It represents a vision for the fundamental transformation of South Africa. The purpose of transformation is to create a people-centred society which measures progress by the extent to which it has succeeded in securing for each extreme liberty, prosperity and happiness." Another term that is used for reconstruction, is "improvement". According to Marsh (1988:3) the term "school improvement" is used frequently in the media by people who have varying interests in education. Marsh further states that school improvement is a systematic, sustained effort aimed at change in learning conditions and other related internal conditions in one or more schools, with the ultimate aim of accomplishing educational goals more effectively.
What is needed is a commitment, especially by teachers and students, to examine their current practises and routines to see whether these are appropriate for their present situation.
Silcox (1993:53) feels that most definitions of restructuring centres on the attempts by school districts to change the fundamental rules, relationships and roles within the existing school structure.
According to Ornstein et al. (1997:406), social reconstructionists are convinced that a new social order will be created only when educators challenge absolete conceptions of knowledge, education, schooling and instruction. Education is designed to awaken student's consciousness about social problems and to engage them actively in solving those problems. Teachers encourage students to investigate controversial issues in religion, economics, politics and education in order to develop alternatives to the conventional wisdom. Therefore, the school is not only an academic institution, but also a "think tank" in which students formulate hypothesis for social change. 13 Against this background, it is clear that political, economic and social conditions of the past have caused great dissension among people, especially on the educational scene. One of the briefs of the new educational dispensation will be to heal completely this rift between people of varying cultures and lifestyles. The word reconciliation meaning a political and economic yearning, is in danger of becoming a vogue word. Yet this concept has numerous educational implications and connotations which must be traced. One needs to investigate the meaning of the concept and which agents are involved.
One of the results of the diverse educational provisions of the old dispensation was that many children were deprived of educational and teaching opportunities. This is referred to as a condition of educational deprivation, disparity, unequal opportunity, disadvantages and even isolation. The result was that those involved experienced this as a condition of alienation, estrangement, marginalisation, voicelessness, illegality and disharmony not only with regard to themselves, but also towards one another. The feeling arose that the children were sidelined from the mainstream of teaching and the result was their exclusion from a sound preparation for careers, jobs and other life expectations. This state of mistrust, degradation and isolation must be eradicated; a new spirit of reconciliation, participation, compassion and recognition must be developed. Reconciliation is seen as a process of healing and bringing people into friendly relations (Hulley, 1988:1). It is an endeavour to bridge the hostilities between people, and to forge mutual bonds of friendship. Reconciliation, therefore, is a restoration of good schooling, a mutual acceptance and tolerance, an understanding of the other person and a desire to balance and repair past inequalities. There should be a striving to keep children in schools in order to achieve a greater degree of harmony, concord and mutual understanding and improved learning cultures.
1.5 OUTLINE OF THE STUDY
Chapter One provides the motivation for the study and a description of the problem. It outlines the methodology used and clarifies certain concepts that will be used in this study. In this chapter, concerns were raised regarding the unpleasant state of schooling in South Africa, and the fact that schools have been exposed to vandalism 14 which culminated in poor physical appearance of schools.
Chapter Two reviews the structure of the community with reference to Mamelodi. This includes, the family as basic element in a community, social problems, and how the school can address some of the problems.
Chapter Three, which forms the theme of this study, focuses on the task of a school as a social reconstruction agent. The socialisation task of the school will also be emphasised.
Chapter Four gives a brief discussion of the research design and a description of an empirical investigation.
Chapter Five recapitulates the salient points of the research project under the heading: Findings and implications, Recommendations, Suggestions for further fields of study and Conclusion. 15 CHAPTER 2
MAMELODI AS A COMMUNITY
2.1 INTRODUCTION AND AIM
The concept community has already been defined. This chapter will outline some elements of the community of Mamelodi. The aim of this chapter is to structurise the different elements and see how the school can help in restructuring some of them.
In Chapter 1 the role of the school as a reconstruction agent has been briefly outlined. This chapter will focus on Mamelodi as a community, the family as a basic element in a community and the general characteristics of a community and to what extent these characteristics have been reflected in Mamelodi.
Within a community there are usually certain social problems that may affect the running of the activities of the school and in which the school could play a positive helping role. These problems will also be briefly discussed. The role of the school in the reconstruction process is seen as diagnosing some of these social problems and getting involved for the betterment of the community. The family will be discussed as a basic element of a community and how it can shape the type of community.
2.2 THE FAMILY AS A BASIC ELEMENT IN A COMMUNITY
2.2.1 The family
The family is, indeed, regarded as a key institution in all societies and communities. The importance of a well integrated family for the survival of any society or community, cannot be overemphasised. "Die gesin speel so 'n belangrike rol in die lewe van die kind dat gesinsverbrokkeling die potensiaal het om verwoesting en disorientasie in the lewe van die kind wat daarby betrokke is, to veroorsaak" (Steyn, 1989:95). South African society has been subjected to far-reaching changes, especially technological, that have led to increasing strain in the family life of the various population groups, making the family increasingly vulnerable.
16 Murdoch, (in Haralambos, 1980:325) defines the family as follows: "The family is a social group characterised by common residence, economic co-operation and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of the sexually co-habituating adults." Mamelodi is characterised by different kinds of families of which some cases give rise to some of the social problems.
Nzimande (1987:23) illustrates the following types of family structures:
The nuclear family The extended family The single-parent family
There are also other forms of family structures, for example, the kinship family, but for the purpose of this study, only these three types will be discussed. These three types are mostly pronounced in Mamelodi.
2.2.1.1 The nuclear family
In this arrangement, a husband, his wife and unmarried children live as a family unit. This small family unit provides for its own economic and emotional support among its members. Steyn (1994:63) states that the pure nuclear family, viz husband-wife-child family is the family structure which, seen globally, has the highest frequency amongst all population groups. This type of family is predominant in Mamelodi and provides for the economic and emotional needs of the children.
2.2.1.2 The extended family
Gordon (1983:1) states: "The extended family is, typically, a residential unit composed of husband, wife, dependent offsprings and married sons and their spouses and offspring." In this definition, marital status and sex (married sons and their nuclear families) are also viewed as essential criteria of the extended family form. This type of family is also prevalent in Mamelodi where children who have married, leave the main building to put a shack within the same premises. 17 The extended family is not necessarily characterised by common household residence of the kin network, although some investigators have considered this criterion essential.
2.2.1.3 The single parent family
Single parenthood may be regarded as a growing phenomenon in our society. A single parent family can be caused by definite social circumstances like death of one of the parents, legal separation, desertion by one of the parents (without legal separation) unmarried mothers who decide to keep the children (Steyn, 1989:96).
Single parents experience some problems. The most commonly known is that of financial and economic problems which have led to poor living conditions and the ever lowering of living standards and lifestyle. In Mamelodi there are families where children are not cared for and finally resort to deviant behaviour because the parent is unable to provide for their needs.
Mulroy (1992:51) states that the housing crisis has threatened the well-being of single parent families by exhausting their resources, and made them vulnerable to other stressful events within a short time. The outcome is adjustment, overload and evolution of serious health, housing and family problems.
Steyn (1989:98) mentions that there are many emotional reactions from children of divorced parents, i.e. fear, negation, anger, uncertainty, shyness, fantasy and regression. She suggests that the school is supposed to be a suitable place for identifying such emotional scholastic problems. The school can refer such children to relevant institutions that will give them proper treatment.
2.2.2 Conclusion
The different types of families described above are typical to Mamelodi. These families are important because they constitute a community as such. It is therefore on the basis of these family types that the characteristics of the community of Mamelodi can be discussed. 18 2.3 CHARACTERISTICS OF MAMELODI COMMUNITY
This section will focus on some of the types of structures that characterise the community of Mamelodi.
2.3.1 Welfare organisations
Uys (1990:345) in her study of the community of Mamelodi regarding their deprivations about welfare service, came to the conclusion that a greater number of respondents feel more or less relatively deprived of social services in the community.
Health services in Mamelodi are not yet up to the required standard. Presently there are two clinics, one day hospital, one medical centre, three pharmacies and approximately 37 private medical practitioners. The Pretoria fire brigade and Emergency services based in Mamelodi and several Transvaal Provincial Administration nurses go around Mamelodi addressing people on health.
The organisations are catering for the physically handicapped and children who have been abandoned by their parents.
2.3.2 Legal and law enforcement
Mamelodi has a magistrate's court where local crimes can be heard. The legal resource centre helps those who need legal services.
There is only one police station to serve a community of approximately 500,000 people and, unfortunately, they don't cope. People fear to report some crimes because the police are reluctant to follow them up because of fear or use lack of transport.
2.3.3 Education
As in most areas, schooling in Mamelodi has deteriorated because of the political climate. Presently there are five pre-primary schools, approximately 50 privately 19 owned day-care centres, 37 primary schools which are ethnically established, 12 ethnically mixed secondary and high schools which cater for different African languages, like Northern Sotho, Tswana, Zulu, Tsonga, etc. There is one university and three technical schools. Other educational institutions include Mamelodi Career Centre, Mamelodi Teachers' Centre and two Libraries.
2.3.4 Businesses
There are approximately 450 small businesses, mostly general dealers which cannot cope with the number of job-seekers. In this regard De Klerk (1994:6) says: "Blacks in the informal sector may find a lot to learn from the Afrikaner experience in generating wealth for themselves. The Afrikaners mobilised their own savings to start their own businesses. This took time and great effort but the evidence of well-known and established business ventures that started in a very humble way 50 or 60 years ago is abundant to-day". There are also a number of home shops called "spaza shops" that are thriving around Mamelodi. Basic food stuffs are being sold in these "spaza shops" and people can even buy goods after other shops had closed.
2.3.5 Religion
Almost all kinds of religions are represented in Mamelodi. The church with the largest following is the Zion Christian Church (Chiloane, 1990:130).
2.3.6 Sports groups
Soccer is the dominant sport for black people. Mamelodi takes pride in the professional soccer club "Double Action Sundown". Initially the players and club officials were mostly from the township. Lately, players from outside the township have been recruited, and, of course, the majority of the fans are in Mamelodi. Besides soccer there are other sports activities like tennis, boxing, karate, softball, baseball, netball, volley-ball, swimming and three gymnastic centres. 20 2.3.7 Summary
The above structures that characterise the community of Mamelodi indicate some of the major activities found within the community. It is from these structures that the community is confronted by some of the social problems. The following social problems will be identified.
2.4 SOCIAL PROBLEMS
Within a community, there are usually certain social problems that may affect the running of the activities of the community. These problems may also affect the school. It is for this reason that, in the reconstruction of a community, certain social problems must be identified so as to change the undesirable state of a community to a better one. If crime within a community becomes high, then it affects every member of that community. Then crime generally becomes a social problem. What then is a social problem?
A social problem is a condition affecting a significant number of people in ways considered undesirable, and about which it is felt something can be done through collective social action (Horton & Leslie, 1955:4). This definition has four distinct ideas:
a condition affecting a significant number of people; in ways considered undesirable; and about which it is felt something can be done; through collective social action.
A condition affecting a significant number of people There is no figure to state how many people must be affected before a condition qualifies as a social problem. But when a condition affects enough people so that a number of them take notice and begin to talk and write about it, a social problem exists. Unemployment is affecting residents of Mamelodi. The school may help by offering such people jobs in the renovation of school buildings i.e. painting, repairing broken furniture etc. 21
In ways considered undesirable A social problem involves a value-judgement, a decision that the condition is bad. No condition, no matter how shocking to someone else, is a social problem unless and until the values of a considerable number of people within the society define it as a problem. Mamelodi has experienced violent crimes like murder of business people and also pupils at school. The community should form policing forums to address such problems. Regular contacts between the police and the community is vital.
And about which it is felt something should be done A condition is a problem when it is believed something should be done about. It is the belief in the possibility of treatment that causes people to consider it a problem. In Mamelodi overcrowding in schools has also become a problem. There are some schools which follow double-sessions, where one group of children attend in the morning and the other group in the afternoon.
Through collective social action Social problems are therefore social in origin (a condition affecting a significant number of people ...) social in definition (in ways considered undesirable); and social in treatment (and about which it is felt something can be done through collective social action). Drug-abuse, liquor and sexual harassment have also affected many . school- going children. The school can help in identifying such children early and referring them to the relevant institutions for assistance.
Lauer (1986:6) argues that "a social problem is one whose causes and solutions lie outside the individual and the immediate environment". He asserts that the distinction between personal and social problems determines, to some extent, the solutions that will ultimately be sought to alleviate the problem. Personal problems he sees as requiring individual strategies while social problems require collective action. 22 The following problems, typical to Mamelodi will be discussed and it could be indicated how the school can play a constructive role in addressing some of them: population explosion; housing; inadequate socialisation; unemployment; social uncertainty; and the crisis in norms and values.
2.4.1 Population explosion
The community of Mamelodi, being a modern one, is characterised by an enormous population growth which can be ascribed to lack of use of proper birth control measures on the one hand and the medical science and technology on the other. Child births have taken a great toll. Addressing "St Matthew's Guild" (a Catholic organisation in Pretoria) on abortion, Dr Newburg declared that South Africa's biggest problem, is not race relations, but population explosion. He continued to state that people should not abort to curb population growth, because abortion interferes with human life, which nobody is allowed to take away.
Mamelodi community is experiencing a high population growth with insufficient health, recreational, vocational and technical facilities. An uncontrollable population growth creates many social and pedagogical problems. It becomes more difficult to provide for food, housing and other amenities. This state of affairs has also affected education.
An added burden is a new squatter camp on the eastern part of Mamelodi has attracted people from as far as Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Some of the parents don't work and are unable to send their children to school.
2.4.2 Housing
According to de Beer (1991:112) many people in South Africa, from spokesperson for private enterprise to representatives of political movements express their alarm at the "housing crisis" facing South Africa. In the meantime the urban poor, those suffering as a result of the crisis, continue to make ends meet as best they can by erecting shelters (commonly known as "mekhukhu" or zozos) in the back yards of formal houses and in co-called squatter settlements. 23 "In Suid-Afrika blyk behuisingsprobleme ook 'n belangrike bydraende faktor tot die kwesbaarheid van eenouergesinne to wees. Hierdie behuisingsprobleme kan 'n invloed op die kind se trotsgevoel he en voorts lei tot sy sosiale isolasie, 'n laer selfkonsep, onsekerheid en verwarring" (Steyn, 1989:95).
Because of the lack of housing, many families in Mamelodi have been characterised by many extended families where grown-up children marry and stay in the same house or erect a room outside the main house. With the introduction of the squatter camps, many people who have been lodgers in their nuclear families, have moved to these new squatter camps.
Poor housing and the establishment of squatter camps have the following effects on the community.
• These camps attracted people from other areas with the result that different cultures have emerged, leading to clashes resulting inter alia in the intensification of criminal behaviour.
The process of urbanisation and modernisation has led to anti-social behaviours among the life styles of the Black residents of Mamelodi.
Crime in Mamelodi includes assault, housebreaking, theft, rape and murder. The causes of such crimes are the grinding poverty and unemployment. Thus crime became another feature of the Mamelodi Township (Chiloane, 1990:259). The family in Mamelodi is also characterised by single parent families. Most single woman and men lived together without a formal marriage. This type of sharing is termed
• "Masihlalisane" or "vat en sir' which means that two unmarried individuals or one unmarried couple lead an adulterous life in order to cope with the financial needs of township life. The effects of such liaisons lead to family disruption and destruction of customary marriages (Chiloane, 1990:134). Furthermore, single women could find husbands or have extra-marital affairs referred to as "bonyatsi" (concubines). 24 2.4.3 Education
The 1996-1997 matric results, which were poor throughout the country, have also been recorded in Mamelodi. The present state of education in Mamelodi is chaotic. The culture of teaching and learning has suffered tremendously.
Schools are in most cases overcrowded and discipline has become a major problem. Children report to school late and leave school early. Both pupils and teachers can no longer respect one another. Principals find it tough to manage schools, because some teachers have also become difficult to work with - especially the lazy ones. They no longer accept orders from the principal. Some teachers absent themselves from school without a valid reason. The departmental officials have become helpless because even when cases are reported to them, nobody takes action. Some boys carry dangerous weapons and terrorise everybody at school.
All these problems result in poor performance at the end of the year.
2.4.4 Inadequate socialisation
As a result of poor schooling facilities, poor home backgrounds, socialisation becomes inadequate. Williams (1994:149) argues that the child who is rejected very early in life and remains unwanted, is likely to become insecure, maladjusted and educationally backward. Morse, (1994:132) has explored the essential role of caring in teaching youngsters with problematic behaviour. The common state of increasing numbers of school children is that they come to school uncared for, neglected and sometimes abused. These conditions are often the consequence of family struggles with poverty and dysfunction.
Another reason for this inadequate socialisation is the serious condition of social negligence, which manifests itself in many unsocial, asocial and socially weak families in society.
Ornstein (1983:6) explains the situation as follows: "With thousands of people packed into a small patch of land so that a large peer group is present, and with gambling, 25 narcotics, and other 'adult' activities, an immediate part of the environment, it becomes difficult and sometimes impossible for parents to maintain control of children against the competition of the streets. As a result many parents are unable to protect their children from deleterious influences in their neighbourhoods, and both parents and later young people begin to behave as if it is hopeless to try."
2.4.5 Unemployment
Unemployment has become one of the problems because people from rural areas have flocked to the cities. This urbanisation has resulted in the concentration of large numbers of the Black population in cities. Most people who moved to those urban areas, had to look for employment which they don't just get.
McDavid and Harari (1968:12) states that: "The hardest days work you'll ever do is the one when you look for a job." Unfortunately in these turbulent economic times, job seekers can and do spend a lot more than one day trying to land the right job.
It is inter alia unemployment that forces people to resort to unpleasant ways of making a living , for example, stealing.
2.4.6 Estrangement and alienation
The actual social problem of our time is that of human relations and this is a question of how a hopeless human creature is able to live within a giant organisation. According to Haralambus (1980:229), the origin of alienation, is to be found in an economic system, where the worker feels he is not part of the production and feels eventually alienated.
In our society, social isolation and loss of contact give rise to fear, unrest and doubt. Loneliness is a characteristic of our time and it is because the modern man has divorced himself from his traditional way of living: he is religiously and socially uprooted. 26 According to Pretorius (1988:112), incidents of loneliness reach their highest peak in a neurotic person. This person no longer communicates with his fellowman and lives to himself. Such a person then resorts to alcohol and other drugs. This problem also manifests itself within the Mamelodi community, mostly among school-leavers with poor qualifications. Some of these school-leavers are often in groups, smoking dagga and drinking liquor publicly. People from town alight from taxi's at this point and some become victims of these young fellows.
2.4.7 Social uncertainty
This means that an individual, due to a multiple lifestyle, no longer knows his place within society. Therefore, when he enters into communication with others, he is uncertain and experiences disorientation within the community. This orientation can also be the case with the educator in his relationship with the educant, which in turn can lead to uncertainty in the education communication. It is a fact that in some schools in Mamelodi, the culture of learning and teaching has eroded, and both the learner and the teacher have lost contact and the teacher can no longer transmit the necessary norms and values to the learner.
The families in the urban areas, including Mamelodi, are generally characterised by disrupted family interpersonal communication, and lack of common orientation of the youth towards the philosophy of co-existence (Gerber & Newman, 1980:49).
In this sense, there is a lack of comradeship resulting from his communication uncertainty. According to Morse (1994:134), it is not enough for a teacher to feel that he or she is a caring professional. Most of us believe we are. The task is to communicate our caring to the youngster so that she or he feels cared for. There is obviously a single way to establish such a bond of trust.
2.4.8 Crisis in norms and values
A stable society is characterised by orderliness which is possible through the maintenance of proper values and norms. A value can be defined as a conception of what is desirable in social behaviour and serves as a guideline in deciding between 27 alternative actions (Haralambos, 1980:6/7). Norms are shared rules of conduct directing what should and should not be done by certain individuals under certain specified circumstances. A norm is an obligatory standard for behaviour in a specific situation. It is through norms that values are put into action; thus norms are essentially tools for accomplishing group goals (Goodman & Marx, 1978:82).
The values of a society usually form a logically interrelated system. Society's dominant values are actualised by the vast majority of people in that society. Values maintain the orderliness and integration of a particular society.
Norms are guidelines for behaviour and prescribe what is acceptable in a particular situation (Haralambos, 1980:5). Norms imply a particular precept of society hence they are seen as rules that prescribe, permit or prohibit human behaviour. In Mamelodi especially at secondary schools, pupils no longer respect authority and learning is affected and norms are not seriously adhered to.
The modern man no longer knows what is right or wrong, and then lands into a norm crisis. Freedom is for everyone, norms count less and are subject to continuous change.
The educator and the learner, in trying to acquire norms from different institutions, find themselves in a dilemma because there is no clear-cut system of norms. How can an educator give direction to the child with certainty and precision when the norms and values are not clear? He therefore finds himself in a norm-crisis. This situation may lead to misconduct and to a negative attitude to authority and a decline in discipline.
Besides these problems affecting Mamelodi, there are still, for example, a poor health service especially in the squatter camps where doctors and nurses fear to visit because they are unsafe. Law enforcement is another problem. The police in many cases don't attend to cases reported to them, The excuses that they sometimes give is that they can't get to the crime spot because police vehicles are not available at that time. When people report cases telephonically, they promise to come, but never turn up. If they come, it is always after a long delay. That is when people become impatient and take the law in their own hands. 28 To sum up, these are some of the many problems confronting the community of Mamelodi. Lately, another major problem is crime. Mamelodi business people have been targeted and some business people are even afraid to expand their businesses, because of the lack of security.
The question is: Can the school contribute towards solving all or some of the problems?
2.5 PROBLEMS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED BY THE SCHOOL
The school cannot solve all the problems experienced by the community of Mamelodi, but the school can partly contribute towards the solution of some problems, some of which are within the school's sphere itself but nevertheless directly constitute a community problem. Some of the problems are: behaviour problems, unemployment, failure problems, disciplinary problems, and the problem of socialisation.
How can the school help to solve some of the social problems?
2.5.1 Behaviour problems
In every school there are a variety of problematic behaviours that undermine the culture of learning. According to Metcalfe (1995:3), problems such as coming late or leaving early, irregular attendance; sexual harassment, bringing weapons to school etc., can be solved when Student Representative Councils (SRC) together with Parent Teacher Student Associations (PTSA) accept the responsibility to ensure that a code of conduct is drawn up at every school for all students. This conduct should eventually be adopted by the school and be the result of a process within the schools in which all students participate.
2.5.2 Contributions towards solving the problem of unemployment
Pretoria News (1 July, 1997:10) states that: "Young people find it increasingly difficult to find work and their chances of employment are hampered by a low social and economic status as well as an academic training which is not in step with economic 29 realities. To reduce the current alarming unemployment, South Africa needs to pay urgent attention to the establishment of a centre for entrepreneurship development. This centre should focus on developing learning programs for children up to high- school level."
A local magazine, Mamelodi (1995:2), says governing bodies and corporate bodies have called for the setting up of a task team to speed up the process of introducing entrepreneurship education into schools. This initiative will help to combat high unemployment among school leavers. Participants said there was an urgent need to develop an enterprise culture in South Africa by introducing entrepreneurship education as a recognised subject in schools. Moledi quotes entrepreneur Jane Mdaki, who began her training school in 1993. When she established Thuthukani Sewing and Training Co-operative, her aim was to impart skills to help unemployed people to start their business and earn a living. In Mamelodi, there is Leseding Dressmaking which teaches people dressmaking and in turn they establish their own businesses.
What this means is that entrepreneurship training should be introduced into schools and Technical Colleges as formal courses and should be taken seriously by education authorities. Raboroko (1995:2) gives an example of the teaching of subjects hotel and catering to Black pupils - a new field in South African schools. These subjects are offered at the Edith Hinds Technical and Commercial High School. This is a proper and real education. It provides hands-on training and there is also the promise that if students deliver the goods, there is work at the end of the line. It is important to provide a bridge from school into the career world. This subject will help pupils move into a dynamic and fast moving industry.
There are other problems that the school should look into before the school can help solve community problems. Examples of such problems are failure in schools, disciplinary problems, socialisation problems, etc.
The Mamelodi Teachers' Centre has also contributed much in addressing the
unemployment problem. This Centre , has become a place where schools and the community receive information. 30 Lange eta'. (1998:4) of the Human Sciences Research Council conducted a pilot evaluation of the Computer Training course at the Mamelodi Teachers' Centre. The study indicated that both the users and organisers of the community centres seemed to want more interactive electronic media, especially computer-based media and information. The results showed that many respondents managed to get jobs with their computer skills. Other projects at the Mamelodi Teachers' Centre initiated by the head of the Centre, Mr M Laka include the training of local people in vegetable gardening, the producing of vegetables for home consumption and even for selling. The Centre, as an institution of learning, has contributed towards solving the problem of unemployment and has even given people a sense of ownership. The community is proud to be part of this project.
2.5.3 Contributions towards solving the problem of failure in schools
Metcalfe (1995:3) has suggested the following measures to solving failure problems in schools. Those students who fail matric can opt for the following:
Rewrite programmes
These programmes are offered by several organisations for students who have failed Grade 12. Students themselves have also initiated some projects, and where they have found sufficient resources in themselves, were supported by the community. These students can show all of us what Masakhane means. Usually such examinations take place in February and those students who pass can still register at technikons or universities.
By correspondence
Some students choose to rewrite on their own and supported by distance education material that is available from various colleges. 31 Adult centres
The resources of adult centres are limited. It may be that principals of the adult centres will be open in assisting organised and determined students in any way that they can. Last year the Mamelodi Adult Centre accommodated Grade 12 pupils who had failed from 16:00-18:00 and some unemployed teachers taught these students.
The Gauteng Youth College
This is a new RDP initiative for the Gauteng Education Department. It is an important attempt to create a second chance for many of our young people who are seeking a low cost alternative and recognise the need to simply rewrite the same subject but have an opportunity to write a new curriculum.
Overcrowding has also occurred in schools as a result of the fact that many schools in black communities have been vandalised. Some classes are not been used because they are without doors, windows, roofs and have also been used as toilets. They are actually in a mess.
The Gauteng Education Department has introduced a School Renovation Project - building a new challenge.
The School Renovation Project was launched in March 1995 and aims to improve physical conditions at schools. Mamelodi schools have also benefited from this School Renovation Project. The Gauteng Ministry is keen for school communities to take the initiative in the reconstruction of their own schools. This will get energy and commitment flowing back into the school environment. The communities must be proud of their schools, teachers and students. The process of reconstruction should go hand in hand with schools building their new governance structures to assist the idea of "ownership" of the school by the whole community. The School Renovation Project is aimed at involving local unemployed people in projects like painting the school, replacing damaged window panes and doors, fixing electrical equipment, planting trees and any other jobs. 32 The Schools Renovation Programme is only one component of reconstruction. Others such as major physical rehabilitation, the supply of resources, the new Youth College being set-up and the whole programme of Inset training and capacity building are going to be addressed as part of a larger implementation plan.
The school, through this Renovation Programme, has solved unemployment because unemployed parents have been involved in the programme and are able to provide for their families.
2.5.4 Contributions towards solving disciplinary problems
Discipline is another problem that haunts learning presently. Thompson (1994:261) has observed that discipline is probably the single foremost concern of the beginning and pre-professional teacher. Whenever students are queried about their profes- sional needs, discipline is invariably high among their priorities.
Thompson (1994:265) further states that the single source of most disciplinary problems for the beginning teacher lies in the beginning teacher's desire to show pupils that he is their friend. If there is one thing that a sixteen-year old does not need, it is a twenty-four-year old pal. Whether the teacher chooses to be or not, he is probably a significant other in the eyes of his pupils. The pupils' self-concepts and self-worth are measured against the level of acceptance that the teacher shows them.
The ultimate goal of any disciplinary approach should not merely be to maintain an efficient learning environment, but rather to develop within individual pupils the kind of self-discipline that arises out of risk-taking and coping with consequences. This can only be achieved when the teacher accepts the role of disciplinarian in these terms and rejects all punitive and arbitrary disciplinary modes.
Another way of trying to solve discipline is by use of a daily report card. A structured daily report card programme can provide more consistent and efficient feedback than traditional approaches. Typically, parents, teachers and sometimes a consultant collaborate to design a note that targets specific behaviour for change (Long & Edwards, 1994:152). 33 Successful implementation of a daily report card programme will require the co- operation of parents and teachers. An initial meeting of all interested parties should be conducted. The purpose of this meeting should be to enlist the co-operation of the parents, to specify the behaviours targeted for change, and to jointly develop an intervention plan. At this meeting, teachers should try to communicate that they want parents' help in addressing these problems because they feel that a consistent and co-ordinated approach between the school and home is the most effective intervention. This will help in solving problems such as truancy which can be monitored by these daily reports.
2.5.5 Contributions towards solving the problem of socialisation
Where the family has not adequately socialised the child, the school can help to solve such a problem. According to Morse (1994:133/134), the school should face up to the need for a curriculum of caring and do whatever possible to provide what children need. No teacher can be the central caring figure for all the children seen in a day. The task is to communicate our caring to the youngster so that she or he feels cared for.
Goodlad et al. (in Morse, 1994:134) remind us that caring in schools involves the whole life of the child in the setting. It is not just an atmosphere of being listened to with patience and non-rejection. Every learning has both a cognitive and affective component.
Some children and adolescents are too damaged to respond to a teacher's caring. As Noddings (in Morse, 1994:135) explains it is difficult to keep caring when rejected even though the rejecters are the very youngsters most in need of caring.
One other essential manner in solving problems affecting a community and in particular schools is to involve parents.
In an article entitled "Parents' involvement in school pays off", Keeton (1995:2) wrote about Sister Theresa Convent School which won support from the Government and the private sector and led to its expansion. A spokesman for the school said: "The 34 parents raised money themselves, which is rare in this climate of disinterest and provided the rest of the finance, primarily to support their initiative." The principal said: "It is a basic school practice but the parents have been a strong force at this school since the sixties." Every class has two parent representatives. They serve on a steering committee and one of the five sub-committee such as funding, sport and recreation, arts and culture.
2.6 CONCLUSION
This chapter reviews Mamelodi as a community and the characteristics of this community. Within this community, there are social problems like population explosion, housing, education, unemployment which confront the community of Mamelodi. The last section deals with ways that the school can follow in order to help address some of these problems.
Schools all across the country are facing a significant paradigm shift in how we conduct the business of education. Parents are demanding a new kind of involvement that teaches far beyond traditional boundaries and to achieve these rights are bypassing the school buildings, waging war at the board level under the full scrutiny of the media and the public. Carnes (1992:128-9) points out that the real issue is one of involvement in our schools. Parents are afraid. They see the traditional family disintegration and have no idea how to deal with this fact. Schools are assigned the tasks of solving all of society's problems, fulfilling responsibilities traditionally given to the family unit. Schools are not equipped to be parents to every child in their care.
If we accept that something is out of adjustment in our educational system, then we also accept that it is time to explore a new level of involvement for parents in our school governance. Schools are still operating under the belief that it's so much easier to do it ourselves.
Kindred (1984:126) states that the communicating process between the schools and external groups should encompass both one-way and two-way communication. Schools should not only use newsletters, news releases, radio and television 35 programs, and brochures, but also many person-to-person programs to inform the general public about what is taking place in the schools. Person-to-person activities combined with the one-way communications process can help external publics to understand many decisions made by school officials and programmes in their schools. To sum up, schools in Mamelodi have been faced with disciplinary problems such as lack of respect for teachers, irregular attendance, irregular attendance, unemployment, failure problems, socialisation problems just to mention a few. Schools in Mamelodi can address disciplinary problems by adopting a code of conduct which protects individual rights against cruel and inhuman actions.
With regard to unemployment, schools can help by introducing entrepreneurship education as part of the curriculum. Concerning failure problems especially in Grade 12, the following programmes have been suggested: rewrite programmes, correspondence courses and using some resources at the Adult centres. These programmes are followed by Mamelodi schools. Though schools cannot address all societal problems they can contribute towards solving some of them.
Chapter 3 will focus on the mandate of the school in addressing some of the problems discussed in chapter 2. 36
CHAPTER 3
THE TASK OF A SCHOOL AS A SOCIAL RECONSTRUCTION AGENT WITH REFERENCE TO MAMELODI SCHOOLS
3.1 INTRODUCTION
In Chapter 2 attention has been focused on the different social structures that are found in the community of Mamelodi. These structures are supposed to be the areas where upgrading of the community of Mamelodi should take place. Amongst these structures, the school as an institute or structure could also play a vital role in the reconstruction programme.
The schools in Mamelodi can perhaps play a role in some of the aspects to uplift the community i.e. traffic control where some pupils are trained by the local traffic authorities to help control the traffic and assist other children to cross some of the busy streets. With regard to health, the schools in Mamelodi have contact with local health authorities, i.e. clinic nurses who offer some guidance on health matters. In this way the human and social upliftment is maintained. Briefly stated, the aim of this chapter is to address the following:
The position of the school under the new Schools' Act. The task of the school in general and the socialisation role of the school. Concrete programmes that the school will embark on in solving some of the problems.
This chapter will address the task or role of the school, in particular Mamelodi schools, in the reconstruction and development programme.
Whatever the schools do, they will have to act according to the new Schools Act which will briefly be discussed. 37
3.2 THE SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLS ACT
The researcher refers to the South African Schools Act as part of this chapter because in its role as a social reconstruction agent, the school should perform this task within the guidelines that have been promulgated in the Schools Act. The Act stresses, for example, the major role that governing bodies should play in this reconstruction programme.
The South African Schools Act took as its starting point South Africas Interim Constitution. The following are some of the important constitutional principles that laid the foundation for the Schools Act.
The rights of learners: Education is a fundamental constitutional right, which the State is obliged to protect.
Compulsory attendance: Compulsory school attendance creates obligations on provinces to provide school places for all children.
Admission to schools: Admission to schools is linked to compulsory school attendance, and is based on the principle of non-discrimination.
Language and culture: Language and cultural rights are protected under the constitution. The School Act enables the governing bodies to decide the language policy of schools, provided it does not result in racial discrimination.
Freedom of religion: Governing bodies can decide on equitable religious observance policies, but the learners and staff members cannot be forced to attend any such observances.
Code of conduct: Learners, parents and educators must formulate a code of conduct to ensure that discipline in their school is achieved. 38
Special education needs: Special education is a thread throughout the Schools Act, and the important principle is that of inclusivity.
Provincial powers: The Constitution gives provinces control over school education, with the role of the central state being to set national norms and standards. Thus education will vary from province to province, depending on their needs and priorities.
The South African School's Act states that considerable powers are allocated to governing bodies. Among other things, they will control the schools property and buildings, and support the work of the principal and teachers.
Just as different sectors i.e. business, are busy addressing the needs of the people like lack of housing, perhaps the school can also help in tackling other community needs. How precisely can the school help in reconstructing society? Man must get help and one of the inter-structural and interwoven life relations which can help him in this regard is the school (Rossouw, 1989:57).
Before giving an exposition of how the school should assist in the reconstruction programme, the meaning or the significance of the school will be dealt with and then the concept "school" will be defined, because the school has a definite internal task and then an external task towards society.
Schools cannot on their own just run smoothly without community involvement. It is proper then to show how the school and the community complement each other:
In concluding the discussion on who should own the school, it is clear that both the government and non-governmental agencies should have a share in this responsibility. The community, that is, the parents, teachers and students should also take pride in owning the schools. Unfortunately, in Mamelodi parents still need to be thoroughly informed on this matter about "ownership" because they have not as yet understood it properly. The next sub-heading of the School's Act is: Whose property are the schools? 39
3.3 WHOSE PROPERTY ARE THE SCHOOLS?
When we discuss the property position of the school, we do so within the parameters of the School's Act, which states that the school is the property of the community where it is situated.
It is clear that the School's Act states that governing bodies will control the schools' property and buildings, and support the work of the principal and educators. They will have to supplement state funding by raising money or charging fees and will be charged with the task of improving educational quality at the school.
It is true that the state should be responsible for the equal opportunity of education to society. Both the government and non-governmental agencies can provide the buildings, equipment, hire personnel for the running of these schools. Finally, it is the community that must have the greater share when it comes to decision making about their specific schools.
On 1 April 1995 an RDP team from Gauteng Department of Education, invited Mamelodi principals to a meeting at Mamelodi High School. The purpose of the meeting was to acquaint principals with the project called "School Renovation Project".
According to the Gauteng Education Department, there is a project called "School Renovation Project" sponsored by Heinemann, which was formed in March 1995. This project aims to improve the physical conditions at schools, which everyone knows are presently not conducive to a culture of learning and teaching. The Gauteng Ministry is keen for school communities to take the initiative in the reconstruction of their own schools. This will get energy and commitment flowing back into the school environment. We want communities to be proud of their schools and proud of their teachers and students. The process of reconstruction should be hand in hand with schools building up their new governance structures to assist the idea of "ownership" of the school by the whole community. 40
The Gauteng Education Department is also encouraging schools and communities to take their own initiatives. For example, COSAS (Congress of South African Students) have communicated with the MEC for Gauteng Education about a code of conduct.
Metcalfe (MEC for Gauteng Education Dept. Sowetan, 1995:3) said the following:
A code of conduct can only be successfully implemented if all those it affects have been part of the debates and discussions and the whole process of agreeing on a code of conduct.
SRC's together with PTSA's have a responsibility to ensure that a code of conduct is drawn up at every school for all students. But the school should be the result of a process within the school in which all students participate. It is an important contribution to the Reconstruction and Development Programme in education. This exercise shows already that "school ownership" is invested in students, teachers and parents.
Radnofsky (1994:162) says: "According to reforms, parents had the power to become more involved in their children's education through the LSC (Local School Council) on which they held six of the eleven positions." Further increasing their potential influence, Chicago reforms stated that the LSC president had to be selected from these parents.
As regards student empowerment, Chicago High School, gave students one seat (non-voting) on the Local School Council to contribute to their sense of involvement in school, to their academic achievement, to improved attendance, and to decreased dropout rate (Radnofsky, 1994:161).
Another effort of encouraging "ownership" of schools is by having more outreach programmes where the community becomes more involved. Cawelti (1994:21) puts it as follows: "Still another vital component of the restructuring process is reaching out to involve your community in education. You can be especially helpful here, because you have a thorough knowledge of your own community. You can help your schools find ways to link with social agencies and attract parent involvement. You can also 41
encourage the business community to provide school-to-work opportunities, scholarships, and technical expertise" (Cawelti, 1994:21).
The South African Schools Act concerning "ownership" states that governing bodies control the school's property and buildings, and support the work of the principal and educators.
Parental involvement within the school system is a significant topic in today's society. Primarily, but not exclusively, successful schools are those in which parent and community involvement is not just tolerated but encouraged (Seminar, 1982:10). This type of involvement makes parents develop a feeling of ownership.
Concerning parental involvement at school, Matscke (1998:15) has this to say: "Parents should be encouraged to take interest in our schools. Schools are the responsibility of all adults and parents in the neighbourhood. Let parents report the good things pupils do outside school, to the principals. This will encourage the pupils. Things parents do not approve of should likewise be reported to the schools. If everybody adopts the attitude that the schools belong to the community, there will be very few problems with the discipline we are worried about in the schools."
According to Pearson (1990:14) parent and community involvement has certain advantages and disadvantages. It has, however, been proven that to improve education in the public schools, it is necessary to get the parents, community, and the schools to work together. This is a key contributor to the education system.
Schools cannot on their own just run smoothly without community involvement. It is proper then to show how the school and the community complement each other.
In concluding the discussion on who should own the school, it is clear that both the government and non-governmental agencies should have a share in this responsibility. The community, i.e. parents, teachers, students should also take pride in owning the schools. Unfortunately in Mamelodi parents still need to be thoroughly informed about "ownership" because they have not as yet understood it properly. 42
The researcher has stated earlier that the School's Act specifies that the schools should belong to the communities. It is therefore obvious that the Act brings closeness between the school and the community.
The next sub-heading of the School's Act will highlight the reciprocity and closeness between the school and the community.
3.4 RECIPROCITY AND CLOSENESS BETWEEN THE SCHOOL AND THE COMMUNITY
Education in every society, be it advanced or primitive, formal or informal, is concerned with teaching children how to live in that society, whether this be a matter of bare survival or living a good life (Boudou, 1990:10). Schools should advance the image of society in which they are found, and foster relationships which may help pupils to take their rightful place in that society, and society should also show great interest in the activities of the school.
Silcox (1993:58) states that education in the 21st century must include community service as part of its mission to meet the needs of society. There is a growing conviction that the nation must restore and inculcate in its youth greater commitment to service. Learning must be applied to real-life situations, monitored by skilled facilitator- teachers and individualised for the learner. Working with the poor and homeless in urban areas, and working with the ambulance corps in rural areas, are examples of the kinds of services such programs could bring to the community (Silcox, 1993:60).
School organisation must move away from a limiting structure and restrictive buildings to learning and serving in the community. Learning must be applied to real-life situations, monitored by skilled facilitators, teachers, and individualised for the learner. School-based community service programmes offer the best means for such a grandiose scheme (Silcox, 1993:60).
According to Smith (1993:1) the contribution of a school to society, can be summed up as follows: 43
admittance way and intermediate link between the family and society;
instrument towards population upgrading and contributing towards a just society thereby developing the intellectual potentiality of society;
• delivery mechanism for manpower needs, provider of welfare, a changing agent, unlocking power and changing function education and in the sense the school is an important factor for going up in the social ladder. This is how the school becomes an unlocking force. Training leads to better chances in the labour market (Smith, 1993:1).
The school has a reproductive function. The first is a qualification function which has to do with the development of knowledge and skills necessary for participation in the labour market. A second reproductive function is the selection function whereby the social success or welfare is maintained. Thirdly, the school has an integration function whereby the norms, values and attitudes of the existing power relations are been developed. Educational values can only be sustained by the school, thereby promoting the welfare of the pupils, teachers, parents and other members of society.
The task of the school is thus to educate and train people to live. It is in the school where a high quality of life should be sought after. According to Townsend (1994:145) if we accept that education plays a role in both providing individuals with the skills they need to operate within the society in which they live, then the role of school and of school curricula must change as the nature of society and the requirements of individuals change.
The school must maintain the social status of its people. The most important social implication is the caring function which the school shows towards a child.
Heath (1991:623) sites the following case: "The educator of a local youth organisation tells a visiting political leader about Darlene and her brother, Tyrone. Their mother died of AIDS and the father just left them and two younger girls. Darlene brings the younger ones to Girls Club in the morning, and we send them off to school while Darlene is at work. Tyrone works all day and picks them up at 7 each night. He feeds 44 the girls and gets them to bed before Darlene gets home. Each day it's the same."
This case shows how the school can share in the caring of children without parents.
Society is depending more on the school. In the modern industrialised society, the caring function of the school is more pronounced. The school is a form of society which means that it is a place where people live and work together. Practitioners from diverse youth serving organisations, churches, sports organisations, youth clubs, schools, social clubs say that a major problem they confront is attracting and sustaining the involvement of young people, especially teenagers. Well-equipped gymnasiums in the inner city too often sit empty; computer labs that are the fruits of prodigious fund-raising efforts serve a handful rather than a roomful of students after school (Heath, 1991:624-625). The interaction between the school and the community has continued to be vital. Pearson (1990:14) asks the following question. "Should parents be integrated as 'partners' in the education." According to Edwards et al. (1992:72) the importance of parent involvement in children's schooling has been a persistent theme in the research and school reform efforts of the last three decades.
The next question to address is "What is the mandate of a school? By mandate we mean the task, role, goal, purpose, function and work of the school.
3.5 THE MANDATE OF THE SCHOOL
It is difficult to have a comprehensive list of goals of a school. According to Goodlad (1984:34) our expectations for schools are idealistic, representing a synthesis of what many different people of our population want. Some of these expectations can be met through private schools, some through specialised academic or vocational public schools.
It is important that the school has a mandate which it has to fulfil within society. Though there is a bond between the school, the home and the church, the school has served to show and emerged as a full sovereign social structure in society, functioning freely in its own sphere, fulfilling a different role, that of education through teaching. The mandate of a school is thus: intellectual development, moral education, an 45
emancipation task, identification with tasks and issues and social contacts.
3.5.1 Intellectual development
Society in general and parents as a group assume that the primary function of schools, whatever the other functions may be, is to teach academics, which they define, correctly if incompletely, as a few subjects and a set of communicating and thinking skills, starting with reading, writing and arithmetic, that point toward goals of intellectual development (Goodlad, 1984:61). Goodlad (1984:65) argues further that although it would be a mistake to perceive intellectual goals as being served by instruction in academics only, he believes that these academics are what the parents and teachers had in mind when thinking of intellectual as contrasted to social, vocational and personal educational goals. Today's social needs require the full intellectual development of each member. This includes not only the acquisition of a fund of knowledge but also basic thinking skills.
Ryan (in Van Loggerenberg, 1993:1) states that the school attempts to ensure that each individual develops his or her capacities - intellectual, social and physical to the fullest possible measure. The cornerstone of the school is the uniqueness of each child, and the school is designed to be flexible and have a positive impact on the child. By aiding each child to develop potential, the school sees itself as a major contributor to a richer, more human society.
Society exercises a great and direct influence on the development of children and youths that they are more confronted by the developments in society. The youth is to a great extent exposed to the media, television, youth magazines and advertisements that do not always show a pedagogical feeling or responsibility, but carry financial gains at heart. It is therefore the task of the school to bridge the gap between the world of the school pupil and the adult world (Engelbrecht, et al. 1985:228).
The development and disciplining of the intellectual ability of the child are centrally the specific function of the school. Its task is primarily of an intellectual nature because it is its function to uplift the child and lead to intellectual independence (Smith 1993, Addendum C:37). Therefore the school consists in its daily task of formal, systematic 46
and organised presentation of a proper selection of accumulated knowledge, experience and culture of the past to children for their personal assimilation, possession, analysis and further extension by own innovation or recreation.
Asa social institution, the school must consider the moral order of society i.e. educative teaching must be closely related to the needs of society. As Engelbrecht al. (1985:214) put it: "It needs to be in line with prevailing spirit of the time, respond to changes in society. Its activities must be linked and related to that of other educative institutions such as church and state."
In concluding this intellectual task of a school, Smith (1993:Addendum C:39) puts it as follows: "Die taak van die skool is opvoedende onderwys met die oog op sy leerling se behoorlike vordering op die weg tot voiwassenheid, en daarom is die sedelike karaktervorming van leerlinge en daarmee hulle omhoogleiding tot sedelike volwassenheid 'n wesenlike deel van sy omvattende taak."
The following categories of the intellectual tasks of a school can be noted:
Academic, embracing all intellectual skills and domains of knowledge. Vocational, geared to developing readiness for productive work and economic responsibility. Social and civic, related to preparing for socialisation into a complex society and Personal, emphasising the development of individual responsibility, talent and free expression.
According to Hamm (1989:54-55) the purposes that the school can fulfil in society can be enumerated under three categories: primary, secondary and unintended functions.
(a) Primary purposes
The primary purposes of the school include the pursuit of general enlightenment. This is so overarching and important that it alone is sufficient to justify the existence of schools; moral education; maintenance of dominant culture; creation of new 47 knowledge (primary in universities).
Secondary purposes
The following secondary purposes can be pursued at school if they don't interfere with the primary purposes i.e. development and allocation of manpower; socialisation; the inculcation of norms of social behaviour other than moral requirements; physical training and development and finally distribution of social goods such as health services, food, bursaries, counselling and entertainment.
Unintended purposes of the school
Barrow (Hamm, 1984:57) argues that the school should be devoted to education, socialisation, child-minding, broad (not specific) vocational training which does not interfere with education; primary instruction in reading, writing and numeracy; physical training, emotional education and as, an incidental function, social role selection. This is an example of how to go about arguing what schools should do. Goodlad (1984:45) mentions other points concerning the mandate of a school: among the citizenship participation and enculturation.
(i) Citizenship participation
Schools must develop knowledge of the basic workings of the government and encourage willingness to participate in the political life of the nation and community. Schools should further develop a commitment to the values of liberty, government by consent of the governed, representational government and one's responsibility for the welfare of all.
Young people now are becoming involved in politics and national life earlier and minorities are demanding greater access to power in our country. A democracy can survive only by participation of its members. Schools are expected to generate such participation. 48
(ii) Enculturation
Schools should develop an awareness of cultural heritage and become familiar with the achievements of the past that have inspired and influenced humanity. They should also inculcate values and characteristics, including language, of the civilisation of which one is a member. Children should learn how to apply the basic principles and concepts of the fine arts and humanities to the appreciation of the aesthetic contributions of other cultures (Goodlad, 1984:54).
A study of traditions that illuminate our relationship with the past can yield insight into our present society and its values. All these can contribute to the development of a person's sense of identity (Goodlad, 1984:46).
3.5.2 The moral education task of the school
Before a discussion of the moral education task of a school, the concept "character" should be defined. In psychological terms, character means a person's inherent natural character existing of his physical disposition, nationality, sex, intellectual ability, specific talents, temperament etc. which as a whole define his integrated individuality and which distinguish himself from other people (Gunter in Smith, 1993:Addendum C:40)
At school, the characters of pupils are formed by subject-teaching, secondary school activities outside the class, that is, sport, organisations and other school functions; the whole school life with its interpersonal relationships and the personal examples exhibited by the teaching personnel within and outside the classroom.
Every subject, every type of sport and any activity of the school, should be seen as an educating means serving the intellectual and moral formation of its pupils towards dependent, useful and good people.
According to. Goodlad (1984:54) society, religion and philosophy provide guideposts for moral conduct. The individual is expected to control personal behaviour according to one or several systems of values. Models for some of these values are implicit in 49 other persons' behaviour (parents, teachers, state leaders) and other values are manifested in the form of a moral code. Schools are expected to teach the young how to discern the values inherent in human behaviour.
For the school to ensure that the pupil learns the heritage and moral order of society, the following elements are important:
It must extend the family's educative role, continuing to build up on the principles laid down by the family. Langeveld (Pretorius, 1988:67) suggests an interesting bridging function of a school i.e. the school serves as a bridge for the child from a personally intimate family to the formal social life.
The experiences, which the child receives from school, can be a stamp to future life. It remains the task of the school not only to emphasise the knowledge aspect of the development of a child, but also to improve the broader education of the child. Schools in Mamelodi also expose children to broader education by organising educational tours which are relevant to what happens in the classroom situation.
3.5.3 Emancipation task of the school
It is important that the child should attend school. The school helps with the emancipation process of the child, meaning to free a child from the family environment. Goodlad (1984:70) feels that the school should during its hours of responsibility be what good homes are expected to be the rest of the time. The school helps to release the child from parents and family to develop his own identity.
Ryan (in Van Loggerenberg, 1993:5) states that the school is the training ground for life in a bureaucratised society and the school is a set of experiences that weans the child from the protective and highly personalised care of the family so that he Or she can deal with the governmental and economic bureaucracies to be encountered in later life.
The school becomes a domain for the child because he spends most of his time at school. He must maintain himself in a group in an independant and dependant 50
manner. The child is confronted by the image which other children have about him and must learn to adjust under such circumstances and should also learn to describe, appreciate and criticise others. As such, children give one another nicknames which usually typify their shortcomings.
The child is confronted by ideas and opinions of others. The obviousness of his parents and family fades away. He discovers other worlds and other backgrounds. All these contribute towards his physical, social and intellectual emancipation. The school is thus more of a representative of society (Smith, 1993:13). Schools in Mamelodi also help the child to move away from home and become independent and self-sufficient.
3.5.4 Identification with tasks and issues
A further task of the school is to help a child to give an objective attention outside himself, to acquaint himself with possibilities and limitations, and also to address or handle issues placed before him. He sees the outside world as a challenge, as things to be discovered and learned. To internalise these, costs trouble and tension. He later learns to know that a person becomes part of what he does.
It is important that requirements be put to children so that they can learn to fulfil them and enjoy their possibilities. Children also need their achievement to be judged and appreciated accordingly thus enabling them to get a picture of their skill and ability. The next task of a school is to enable the child to have social contact with his environment.
3.5.5 Social contacts of children
The school determines to a larger extent, the social contact of the child. The getting along with other children or within the group has two important aspects. The child measures himself against the others and learns to work together with them. Yet there is criticism against competition amongst children in a mercilessly competitive society. And yet the child must know whether he is as good as his counterpart (Smith, 1993:15). 51
Such situations are many. They are repeatedly offered by school life in the classroom as well as outside, for example, sport fields. It is true that "Teaching is more than the scientific and impersonal manipulation of the securing desirable responses, it is a tactful and artistic contagion of personality (Smith, 1993:Addendum C:44).
According to Gunter (in Smith, 1993:Addendum C:43) "...het die skool 'n bale belangrike funksie om te verrig in die sosiale opvoeding van elke opkomende geslag tot goeie burgers van die samelewing en die staat, dit is tot sosiale volwassenheid". As Joseph Leighton puts it: The school is the great instrument between the family point of view and the larger social outlook which makes the individual a worthy member of the community and the state. The function of the school is to enlarge the social point of view in the family life by widening its sphere of application and enlightening the individuals insight into social relations, social rights and duties (Smith, 1993:Addendum C:43).
The intellectual and moral education task of the school can be succinctly presented with a definition by Thomas Arnold, once a principal of the well-known public school Rugby in England who said: "Teaching our understanding to know the highest truth, teaching our affections to love the highest good". The great work of education is to make us love what is good, and therefore not only know it, but do it. "Om kinders te leer om wat waar en goed is te ken, lief te he en te doen, dit is die taak van die goeie skool" (Smith 1993:Addendum C:44).
As far as moral development is concerned, society, religion and philosophy provide guideposts for moral conduct. By the emancipation task the schools help to release the child from the parents and the family and to develop his own identity. The school further determines to a large extent the social contact of the child which broadens his social world.
Those to whom the schools belong carry the responsibility of ensuring that the school executes its mandate. The next most important mandate of the school is its socialisation task. 52
3.6 THE SOCIALISATION TASK OF THE SCHOOL
It has been indicated that education is a social phenomenon and that the education situation at home as well as that at school are both social situations. Education in the family and at school involves interaction amongst people. Every classroom at school forms a small community of teachers and pupils and this takes place within a social milieu (Smith, 1993:Addendum C:8).
Important aspects concerning the socialisation task are the following: culture and transference of knowledge, learning to work; to organise; to work and live together; to relax; to respect values; to compete; to be resistant and learning to live (Pretorius, 1979:65).
Only the following will receive attention because they are closely related to the theme of the dissertation and in particular the socialisation tasks of the school:
Culture and transfer of knowledge Learning to work Learning to co-operate and live together Learning to respect values Learning to live Develop communication skills
3.6.1 Culture and transfer of knowledge
Culture is everything created by man from nature, i.e. labour, sports and also spiritual culture like art, science, moral and religion. The school has a transference function with regard to the culture of society. The cultural content should be presented to a child in a systematic way so that he can acquire it (Smith, 1993:8).
The following are some of the areas through which culture can be transmitted:
Life-world view culture. Education is Christian and national by nature. The child receives religious education as transmission of culture (Pretorius, 53
1979:70); • Economic-technical cultural terrain: Human involvement with nature as physical and chemical reality (physical science) with plants and animals (biology) and commerce, economics can also be transmitted to the child;
Social-welfare cultural terrain: The care and respect of fellowman is important (history and geography). The child must be taught these subjects (Pretorius, 1979:70);
Spiritual cultural terrain: Appreciation of the finer cultural utterances of a people should be transmitted to the child in the form of music, fine arts, literature and art. The above areas through which culture can be transmitted will also make sense in Mamelodi. Schools in Mamelodi concentrate on choral music where schools compete amongst themselves and those that win compete with others from other provinces.
3.6.2 Learning to work
The school must teach the child to appreciate work. This serves as a breakthrough to the labour milieu. Regarding labour ethics, work should not be seen as a curse. Labour is a godly assignment and offers an opportunity to life fortune and service.
No teaching is possible where there is no work. The school should afford a child opportunities to think and act responsibly, and to seek knowledge through his contact with fellow pupils and the teacher. Practical subjects in schools like gardening can teach pupils to work together in projects like tree-planting, growing vegetables, making school rockeries and making compost manure. Repairing broken windows and other projects will prepare a child for the labour market.
According to Pretorius (1988:72), from school the child should be orientated towards a work attitude, a joy in labour, work preparedness, accepting labour responsibility, accountability and self-discipline. All these will prepare the child to accept his own life task. Unfortunately the present pupilS in Mamelodi have developed negative attitudes towards projects. Work to them is more of a burden than preparation for the labour 54
market. At primary schools, pupils are still prepared to work together with teachers on some projects like tree planting, growing vegetables etc. At secondary schools, pupils already feel they are adults and they can longer engage themselves in any type of manual work.
3.6.3 Learning to co-operate and live together
Through the school as a social milieu, intimate family relations can be easily transferred culminating into better social relationships. In a variety of social situations, the child learns to co-operate and live together with other people.
According to Pretorius (1979:72), learning to co-operate occurs usually in a classroom atmosphere which is defined by the teacher/class and pupil/pupil relationship. The teacher must win over the confidence of a child. By means of group work, the child learns that inaccessible objectives for an individual are possible through co-operation.
Kindred (1984:130) feels that work-study programs, often known as distributive education or co-operative education, provide other opportunities for pupils to represent their school in the community.
These programs call for a pupil to attend classes for only part of the day and work in a job related to his or her courses of study for the rest of the day. These positions may be in business, industry, or in public service fields.
Learning to live together means the child is socially disciplined and good social habits will be inculcated.
There is a danger in the school of overloading a child with a chaotic quantity of learning and not giving him enough time to think about his life experiences and thoughts. The competition principle in the school usually prevails over at the expense of solidarity principle - the class must be a working community with emphasis on group work, co-operation for the sake of social formation (Smith, 1993:10). Unfortunately co-operation and living together in Mamelodi schools can no longer be achieved because the authority of the teacher in the classroom has faded away. 55
Teachers find it difficult to get co-operation from students because some of them bring along weapons to school and can even scare off some teachers who want work to be done.
3.6.4 Learning to respect values
At schools values should be transferred to the child and respect for such values should be inculcated. This also applies to the honouring of social norms and values (Pretorius, 1979:74). The modern society's economic, technical and organisational life sectors threatens the lifestyles and values. Therefore the school must lay stress on learning to live according to the norms. This threat to values weakens norm realisation and the right to value realisation.
The adult should exercise respect for the freedom and maturation of the child. The child must learn obedience to life rules in the family and at school. The child must be brought up to preparedness to live up to the values, thus the social components of the moral life will be strongly emphasised (Smith, 1993:10).
The social and moral life in Mamelodi schools have deteriorated because the culture of learning has been destroyed by lack of respect by the learners and teachers find it difficult to convey the necessary values to the pupils.
3.6.5 Learning to live
Like the social worker, the teacher is a practitioner guiding the learner toward discoveries and new experiences through which his behaviour is changed and modified. Good education enables the individual to function most effectively in his environment, to reach his own greatest potential and to contribute constructively to the society in which he lives. Our schools, colleges and professional schools are charged with the task of providing the opportunity for many of the experiences and discoveries that will accomplish such ends (Beck, 1990:31). 56
According to Pretorius (1988:69) the school's task is to socialise a child, or put differently, to educate a child to be able to live with other children. Education and training take place in a dynamic and complex social milieu.
Sociologists and educationists seem to hold the view that the school's socialising role may involve some instruction, but is in the main concerned with weaning the child away from the highly individualistic outlook of the family and conditioning the child to live with others, i.e. to accept the freedom and constraints of living in society (Goodcare, 1970:13).
If the subject matter is close or relevant then the school teaches that which is adequately applicable to the child's daily life. For example, extra-mural activities like music, drama, dancing modelling can be meaningful to a child in the sense that a child can even make a good career out of any of the activities. Extra-mural activities like soccer in Mamelodi schools have produced professionals who are making a good career, not only locally but also internationally.
Toffler (1975:370) makes the following observation. Why must teaching be organised around such fixed disciplines as English, economics, maths or biology. Why not around stages of the human life cycle; a course on childhood birth, adolescence, marriage career, retirement death? Or around contemporary social problems? Or around significant technologies of the past and future? Or around countless other imaginable alternatives?
The school should be future directed and a super-industrial education system should be created. The school should educate the child to keep pace with the changing technology. Three skills are necessary here, that is, teaching, communication and decision-making.
3.6.6 Schools should develop communication skills
Schools should develop communication skills. These skills should develop effectively 57
in groups; learn to form productive and satisfying relations with others based on respect, trust, co-operation, consideration and caring (Goodlad, 1984:53).
Understanding oneself is not enough - one must transcend self to become aware of and understand other people and their institutions, other nations and their relations other cultures and civilisations past and present. Schools should help children to understand, appreciate and value persons belonging to social, cultural and ethnic groups different from their own and thus to increase affiliation and decrease alienation.
"Schools will have to give children real decision making participation in determining their own destinies where homes are hopelessly unsatisfactory, schools will have to provide domicile from infancy" (Dixon, 1992:26).
In Mamelodi schools, Student Representative Councils have been established but unfortunately they are always in conflict with the school authorities.
3.6.7 Conclusion
To sum up, the school as a socialisation agent may undertake certain community programmes that will still bring it nearer to the community. It is through such programmes that the school will develop better relationships with the community. A few examples of such practical programs will be discussed.
3.7 PRACTICAL AND CONCRETE SOCIALIZATION PROGRAMMES OF SCHOOLS
The following are some of the projects that the school can embark on as a means of involving pupils in serving the community. The projects are: War on Waste, gardening, sewing, and water pollution. A project named "War on Waste" is launched at school to promote environmental conservation. The aim of the project is to move away from the "throwing away culture" to a recycling culture. The pupils make a tremendous effort in the community to involve the public to be able to reach their goal. Statistics about the extent of paper u se forced the pupils to focus on the recycling of 58
this paper. The pupils arrange for protests with the theme "War on Waste" (Leach i al. 1993:6) Kubheka (Sowetan, 1995:12) grew up seeing the suffering of people in the poverty stricken villages which surrounded Ngwelazana township, Empangeni in KwaZulu, Natal. Kubheka, who is a postgraduate diploma student in business management at Natal Technician, organised villagers in 1992 and established vegetable gardens.
The gardens, which produce all kinds of vegetables, have now been established in other villages. The villagers sell the products to various centres including hospitals. At the end of the year, participants in the gardening project share the money. The sharing of money is also applied to the sewing project Kubheka started in 1992.
The women in the sewing project also supply several schools with uniforms for the pupils. These projects that Kubheka undertook provided the community with food, money, and the schools benefited from the sewing project in the form of uniforms.
Chemistry students at the Rand Afrikaans University wanted to inform Alexandra squatter camp inhabitants about the danger of polluted water. They took water specimens flowing past the camp. With this project, students hope to encourage the community to purify water before using it. Through this exercise, the students have tried to involve the squatter community on a wider basis (Leach et al. 1993:6).
There is a misconception about sex education in the present school set-up. Research shows that members of the community are aware of preventative methods, but that they are not sure about the use, or they are being withheld for use due to pressure from community traditions and peer group. Also silence about sexually transmitted diseases needs to be broken.
This task should be given to the school since the school as a secondary education system fulfils the task of the parent home so supporting the education task. Another reason is that the effect of a loose sexual life influences the education process because unwanted pregnancies delay the learning process. The question surrounding community service still remans partially unanswered. Educators play an important part in making the pupils aware of their role in community service and 59
participation.
The school can engage the community in various ways (Silcox, 1993:60).
Establish the school as a talent base for the community. Within each school there are talented members who can participate in activities such as beauty contests, boxing, soccer, rugby, athletics. For example, a professional soccer team may conduct a coaching course with school to tap talents among pupils. Such talents can be used by the community to promote the standard of sports. Thus, community-based projects encourage students to learn about themselves, their society and specific subjects in more personal and specific ways than possible within the condition of a traditional classroom.
Pearson (1990:16) feels that involvement with parents must demonstrate mutual accountability and mutual trust. An essential ingredient in home-school relations is the ability to communicate openly. The steps to achieve effective communication among school, home and community are easy to implement once the importance of effective communication is acknowledged. Without open communication, tension builds between staff and parents and problems become frequent.
Permit the school access to the financial and service resources of the , community. With ever-decreasing sources of revenue, schools must seek community financial and service resources as a central and renewable part of the support system available to them (Silcox, 1993:61).
Teachers should help parents who feel they should put their young children in a day- care centre or a nursery school They should also find out whether that institution offers a well-balanced educational programme and is headed by a well-qualified, caring teacher who knows how young children learn and how to create a stimulating, secure environment (Hofmeyer, 1989:17).
Community service should be more than that; education is necessary to ensure that this service is not just a unilateral happening, but that it is. a way of life. According to Goodlad (1984:343), the separation of youth from adults is a product of the decline of 60
the family and the separation of school and work. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the educational development of youth cannot succeed solely through the exposure of young people to a variety of opportunities to test themselves in the community and the workplace alongside supportive adults.
Schools have other programmes where pupils can be involved, but service is just a part thereof. Education is necessary, especially the formulation of long term objectives.
Bishop (1989:145) divides these objectives into four categories:
Basic skills which include literacy, skills in figures and elementary knowledge of principles of science.
Family and health counselling, which is aimed at improving the general quality of life within the family, focusing on the management of domestic family planning and the prevention of food poisoning and drug addiction.
Citizen community grading by means of effective participation and having a say in public affairs, and also knowledge of the present system at local and national level.
Vocational and career counselling which constitute the basic knowledge and skills necessary for the daily life. These objectives sound idealistic in theory, but how are they practically manifested?
In the films "Lean on me" and "Stand and deliver", the dilemma of the present American youth is portrayed. The bravery and violence of school culture is a screen behind which illiteracy is hidden. It is this illiteracy which may harm the entire society, which of course will be detrimental to its survival.
Although the incidence in both films is fictitious, they can be deduced to real incidence in the American school culture (Leach, etal. 1993:3/4). A total swing of this destructive tendency is necessary so that a learning culture can develop, which will 61 destructive tendency is necessary so that a learning culture can develop, which will upgrade literacy. A changed attitude in the closed school community can penetrate to a greater community and cause a tremendous difference in the quality of life of those involved.
The best example of community involvement by the concerned students can be seen at Suzanne Middle School in Walnut, California. By being involved as a group these pupils broke the dividing line between the school and the community. "As participants in a new applied social studies programme known as 'We care', they have made significant contributions to their community and their state" (Haskvitz, 1988:175).
These students made a difference by working together as a group, amongst other things, to present simplified voting procedures, develop improved clearance procedures after an attempted fire exercise at school, and have also succeeded in implementing preservation measures of water. The students have further shown their criminological skills to take fingerprints of all new students in the neighbourhood.
Sowetan (1995;14) quotes an example of young Moses Mathansi who stays in Soshanguve. This young man organised other youngsters in the township in 1993. He was angered by high level of littering and the general untidiness of the township. Moses Mathansi went from house to house and school to school organising primary school pupils and started projects to raise awareness about pollution, littering and recycling. They cleaned their environment including the nearby informal settlement three times a week. The project has a huge support from the residents and the township has now "gone green". The residents have given credit to Moses.
These youngsters have through their initiative realised that they brought about some differences in the community. In the process, they accumulated and discovered a tremendous quantity of new knowledge and skills. This experience will also be an inestimable value in future. Where their life perceptions were just centred around their own interests, it will now be directed to the basic survival of the community, including the individual. 62
According to Grant (1992:75) several efforts currently under way are redefining the relationships of school, family and community. School people are forging alliances with an array of community organisations and agencies. They are extending notions of the "family', making room for single parents, working parents, foster parents, grandparents and others having significant responsibility for children. They are challenging the separateness of systems designed to support children and their families, and they are devising strategies to meet a fuller range of children's needs, using family and community resources.
In Donaldsonville, the missing link was forged by a programme created by a local university professor who never accepted the assumption of parents' lack of interest in their children's success. She solicited community support to attract parents to a reading program where they would be assisted in caring how to read, and how to read with their children. She called on community leaders to recruit parents they knew in context outside the school. Church leaders, black and white, agreed to preach from their pulpits about the importance of helping children learn to read. They regularly urged parents to attend the weekly reading sessions to learn to help their children at school highlighting the importance of literacy as a tool to faith.
Henning (1992:78) is of the opinion that schools must do more than encourage parent involvement isolated from the broader social context; they must do more than merely refer students to social services and health departments. They must become multiple service brokers for children.
The next paragraph focuses on the main highlights surrounding schools.
3.8 HIGHLIGHTS SURROUNDING SCHOOLS
From the discussion so far, it is time that the school in its formation task should be relevant. Man as a social being, who is always concerned with his fellow man, finds it foreign or rather strange that in his involvement with his fellow-being, cannot find it in the school set-up (Pretorius, 1979:78). Couwenberg (in Pretorius, 1979:78) puts it as follows: "Dit is hoog tyd vir vernuwing, dat meer tyd en geleentheid gegee word vir spontane selfontwikkeling en vir rustige besinning deur die jongmens, oor homself en 63 oor die wesenlike waardes van die lewe, wat noodsaaklik is vir die totstandkoming van 'n geordende en selekterende waardebeser
Toffler (in Pretorius, 1979:78) says "...anyone who thinks the present curriculum makes sense is invited to explain to an intelligent fourteen-year-old why algebra or French or any other subject is essential for him. Adult answers are almost always evasive. The reason is simple, the present curriculum is a mindless hold over from the past".
As far as the future of education is concerned, Toffler (in Pretorius, 1979:78) feels there should be a dramatic new education or educations in the future tense. His perception is that education is extremely inadequate because our schools are past orientated. A super-industrial education system should be created and the search for education renewal, education objectives and teaching methods should be future orientated and not past orientated.
A new education revolution is necessary so that the child should be prepared for the technological situation of the future, where machines will perform routine work and man the intellectual and creative tasks. Thus it is necessary to have people who will in future take decisions, who will easily fit in the continuous change (Pretorius, 1979:79). Furthermore, pupils should exercise a wide choice regarding their subject matter, for example by following a wide variety of short-term courses before making long-term choices. More subject choices with future value should be made so that children can get the necessary skills for interpersonal communication and social fitting.
Parent and community involvement in schools is a dynamic process that encourages, supports and provides opportunities for parents and educators to co-operate in the education of students. An important goal of parent-community involvement is to improve student learning.
While there are many complicating factors, research suggests that parents who are involved in schools have a positive effect on their children's academic achievement (McGee Banks, 1993:44). 64
While much of the research on parent involvement resonates well with common sense, the major points are worth mentioning again. (Goodlad, 1984:35).
The family, not the school, provides the primary educational environment for children.
Involving parents in their children's formal education improves the children's achievement.
Involving parents when their children are young has beneficial effects that persist throughout the child's academic career. Ultimately, involving parents in education touches on much larger questions than improving reading and maths scores.
We cannot afford to sequester parents on the periphery of the educational enterprise. Parent involvement is neither a quick fix nor a luxury; it is absolutely fundamental to a healthy system of public education.
Schools all across the country are facing a significant paradigm shift in how we conduct the business of education. Parents are demanding a new kind of involvement that reaches far beyond traditional boundaries and to achieve these rights are bypassing the school building, waging war at the board level under the full scrutiny of the media and the public. Carnes (1992:128-9) points out that the real issue is one of involvement in our schools. Parents are afraid. They see the traditional family disintegration and have no idea how to deal with this fact. Schools are assigned the tasks of solving all of society's problems, fulfilling responsibilities traditionally given to the family unit. Schools are not equipped to be parents to every child in their care.
If we accept that something is out of adjustment in our educational system, then we also accept that it is time to explore a new level of involvement for parents in our school governance. Schools are still operating under the belief that it's so much easier to do it ourselves. 65
Kindred (1984:126) states that the communicating process between the schools and external groups should encompass both one-way and two-way communication. Schools should not only use newsletters, news releases, radio and television programs and brochures, but also many person-to-person programs to inform the general public about what is taking place in the schools. Person-to-person activities combined with the one-way communications process can help external publics to understand many decisions made by school officials and programmes in their schools.
3.9 SUMMARY
In conclusion, the above chapter has focused on the definition and mandate of the school. From the discussion, the mandate of the school includes the intellectual development, moral education identification with tasks and issues and school contacts.
Different authors like Goodlad and Hamm were cited with regard to this mandate. On the question of "school ownership" reference was made to the South African Schools' Act which throws better light on this aspect.
Some scholars like Hamm refer to the purposes of a school and have divided them into primary, secondary and unintended purposes. It has also been clear that those who carry the responsibility of ensuring that the school executes its mandate, must also develop a sense of ownership. Though the government and non-governmental agencies hire personnel for the running of these schools, it is finally the community that must have a greater share when it comes to decision making about their specific schools.
Various scholars have also shown how the school and the community are related. Parental involvement in the education of their children has become a persistent topic of reform. This chapter has also shown the closeness between the school and the community. The family and the school have been involved in the bringing up of a child. Both are closely involved in the socialisation process. Chapter 4 will then focus on the Research Design. 66
The following are some of the aspects which would form part of the questionnaire in Chapter 4: RDP, parental involvement in school activities, ownership, involvement by governing bodies in school activities, entrepreneurship education, working culture, co- operation and social values.
Chapter 4, which deals with the research design of this dissertation, will consist of a questionnaire that has been compiled from some of the key-concepts of the foregoing chapters. 67 CHAPTER 4
RESEARCH DESIGN
4.1 INTRODUCTION
In Chapters 2 and 3 attention was focused on Mamelodi as a community and the task of the school as social reconstruction agent.
To be able to determine the actuality of this role, various members of community will be interviewed to get their opinions on what the school has to do to help in the reconstruction of the entire community. The following themes as deduced from the previous literature chapters will be addressed:
The extent to which schools in Mamelodi play a role in the Reconstruction and Development Programme. The various people to be interviewed will have to explain whether schools in Mamelodi play a role in this Reconstruction Programme.
How communities can be encouraged to become "co-owners" of the school. The Department is encouraging communities to have a greater share in the running of schools by way of financing some of the projects and improving the school in general.
How parents, teachers, non-teaching staff, learners, principals and community members can be involved in governing bodies. All the stakeholders in education should be involved in decision making of the school.
How schools can improve the involvement of local businesses and private enterprise in the financial matters of the school. Such people should be involved in donating funds to the school and assisting in the running of the financial matters of the school. 68 • How schools succeed in developing a culture of work in the child. The school should prepare the child to cope in the working world so that he/she can make a meaningful contribution.
In the next subsection the researcher will explain how qualitative methodology will be utilized in this study.
4.2 QUALITATIVE METHODOLOGY
Qualitative studies tend to be field focused. In education those conducting qualitative research visit schools and observe what takes place in the classroom. Leedy (1993:140) defines qualitative research as follows: "It is a creative, scientific process that necessitates a great deal of time and critical thinking, as well as emotional and intellectual energy. Qualitative research is interpretative in character, meaning that the inquirers try to account for what they have given an account of. It displays the use of expressive language and gives attention to particulars."
There is a distinction between qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The latter manipulates variables and control natural phenomena. They construct hypothesis and "test" them against the hard facts of reality (Leedy, 1993:143).
In this study, individual interviews were conducted by means of structured questions (qualitative) and open-end interviews wherein the respondents could give their own comments and arguments after responding to the structured questions (quantitative).
The Reconstruction and Development Programme, a broad concept which has been preached in every sector of society, means the upgrading and the improvement of the standard of living in the community. For the purpose of this research, the study will be conducted in Mamelodi. Information in this regard will be conducted by means of focus group sessions and eventually structured individual interviews with members of the Mamelodi community. 69 4.3 THE FOCUSED AND STRUCTURED INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS
The structured indiVidual interviews, as part of the qualitative research approach, will be used to gain insight into the dynamic relations of attitudes, opinions, motivations, concerns and problems related to current and projected human activity (Folch-Lyon, 1981:443). Qualitative research is appropriate for this study because of its interpretative character, meaning that the enquirers try to account for what they have given an account of. It displays the use of expressive language and gives attention to particulars.
The researcher develops firsthand experience with the respondents and record information as it occurs. According to Leedy (1993:142) "...the qualitative approach is concerned with human beings, interpersonal relationships, personal values, meanings, beliefs and feelings. It attempts to attain rich, real, deep and valid data and from a rational point of view the approach is inductive".
In this study, individual interviews will be conducted by means of structured questions (qualitative) and open-end interviews wherein the respondents could give their own comments and arguments after responding to the structured questions.
Kruger (in Kingry et al., 1990:124) said that a focus group as well as a structured individual interview, is a carefully planned discussion, designed to obtain perception on a defined area of interest in a permissive, non-threatening environment. Careful planning with respect to participants, the environment and questions to be asked are keys to conduct proper qualitative research.
The qualitative research interviews aim at obtaining as many descriptions from the different qualitative aspects of the respondents' life worlds as possible (Kvale, 1983:175). It also aims at obtaining uninterpreted descriptions of specific proper qualitative research.
Qualitative research has the following five features: 70 The natural setting in which the interviewer is situated is the data source and the researcher is the key data collection instrument. In this study the researcher talked to everyone in a classroom or an office where the atmosphere was conducive, that is, quiet and without disturbance.
• It attempts primarily to describe and analyse. The researcher complied with this condition because he gave respondents enough time to expand and then analysed their descriptions.
• The concern is with what has transpired and with the outcome. All the respondents conveyed their ideas freely and obtained the data offered by them.
• Its data are analysed inductively. From the general answers that they gave, the researcher inductively extracted specific and core ideas. Here inductive analysis means moving from general to specific elements.
It is essentially concerned with what things mean, that is, the why and what. The respondents understood the questions which the researcher explained to them.
4.4 HOW INDIVIDUALISED FOCUS INTERVIEWS FUNCTION
In this study, the researcher applied the individualised focus interviews. The interviewees were selected according to specific groups, that is, principals, heads of departments, teachers, members of the governing council, students and community leaders.
The interviews were conducted in such a way that every individual had to express himself or herself freely. Some respondents wrote down the answers and even gave further comments on open spaces provided. The researcher had to help those who were not sure of their language and especially the spelling of some words. 71 The researcher introduced topics and guided the respondents in completing the questionnaire. Each respondent was allocated thirty minutes within which to complete the questionnaire.
4.4.1 Participants
The participants in this study were principals, teachers, non-teaching staff, governing council members, students and community members, because they are the main stakeholders. The respondents were all conversant with what goes on at school, although they differed in status. The researcher finally had 43 respondents who completed the questionnaire individually.
4.4.2 The environment
The interviews should be held in a comfortable, non-threatening setting. In this study the researcher made use of the principal's office or offices of the heads of departments. Some respondents volunteered to offer the researcher a quiet room in their homes. Each respondent was able to manage to answer the questions within the thirty minutes, though some exceeded the time. The researcher could accept these differences in time because of the different backgrounds of the respondents.
4.4.3 The interviewer
In this study the researcher acted as an interviewer. Tasks of the interviewer include question development, facilitating the interview, document, analyse and interpret the results. The interviewer's experience and involvement in the others facilitate each task.
The researcher first explained to each individual the academic purpose of the study. Provision was made on the questionnaire for further comments to allow the respondents to express themselves.
After the interviews the researcher thanked the interviewee for his/her co-operation in answering the questions. 72
4.5 HOW TO INITIATE STRUCTURED QUESTIONS
Structured questions are those that have been formulated from the different chapters and express core ideas from each chapter (for example, chapters 2 and 3). The questions have been structured in such a manner that the respondent makes a cross against any of the three alternative answers e.g. minimum role, average role and maximum role. An open space is provided after every question for further comment.
Carefully structured and sequenced questions based in the purpose of the study are necessary to elicit a wide range of responses. Questions are based on a review of the literature and consultation with content expects. Several principles are followed in developing the questionnaire.
Start with a general introductory question to allow for participation by all group members but make the question specific enough to trigger short answers. In this study, individual members answered the questions on the questionnaire where alternative answers were given and they had to choose pertinent answers.
Facilitating questions: The researcher opens the individual interview with brief comments about exactly what information is sought from the participants. The researcher in this study explained to each individual how important it is to think about the questions and to choose appropriate answers.
4.6 DOCUMENTATION
For the purpose of this study and to assure the respondents of confidentiality, no names will be mentioned, that is, names of respondents and of the schools. The respondents chose the answers according to their views and wrote them down. There was enough space to allow for further comments. 73 4.7 ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
Before presenting the analysis and interpretation of the questionnaire (see Addendum A), the questions were subdivided arbitrarily into specific categories or themes.
Category 1: Questions that deal specifically with the RDP namely, the role that the schools in Mamelodi play in the Reconstruction and Development Programme, and concrete examples of the schools' contribution towards the RDP. (Questions 1 and 2)
Category 2: Questions that concern school governance activities namely, to what extent parents, teachers, learners, non-teaching staff and the principal should be involved in school governing bodies, and how the governance body fulfil a bridging function between the school and the community. (Questions 7, 8 and 9)
Category 3: The third category concerns the activities of the community towards the school namely, encouraging communities to become "co-owners" of the school, availability of social services, acceptability of the principal by the community and disciplinary problems. (Questions 3, 4 and 5)
Category 4: This category concerns mostly the activities of the school towards the community. These can be subdivided into the following:
Questions 10, 12, 13 and 14 are directed to the business world, for example, entrepreneurship education, addressing the problem of unemployment.
Questions 15, 17, 18 and 19 address the youth, for example, co-operation and comradeship amongst the youth and how the school assists the child in developing positive social values. 74 4(c) Questions 6, 11, 16 and 20 address the responsibility of the school towards the community, for example, the problem of over-population and social needs of the community.
From the questions that have been asked, the researcher has checked the responses of the interviewees to find out the number of the answers ticked against the alternative answers, i.e. minimum role, average role and maximum role. The answers given for minimum, average and maximum are added separately to determine the different responses in each category from a total of 43 responses. In the example: "To what extent are parents involved in the societal activities of the school", the majority of the respondents feel that parents play a minimal role. This is an indication that something needs to be done to encourage parents to be more involved in societal activities of the school. A community leader has remarked that "...parents need to be educated in their involvement in school activities". This would be interpreted as a need that exists within the community. Regarding the extent to which communities are encouraged to become "co-owners" of the school, the majority of the respondents feel that communities should become "co-owners" of the school. This idea correlates with what is stated in the South African Schools' Act which also encourages communities to become "co-owners" of school so that this sense of "ownership" can improve the general tone of the school.
On the question of the involvement by community members in school governing bodies, many respondents feel that they should be totally involved. This idea is in accordance with what is contained in the South African Schools' Bill which states that: At the heart of this Act lies the idea of partnership between all people with an interest in education. Schools will be greatly improved through the joint efforts of parents, educators, learners, members of their local communities and - various education departments. The Schools' Act creates a framework that gives people involved in education, a far greater role in the governance and development of their schools.
The last question concerns the extent to which the school fulfils its social obligation or responsibility within the community. This forms the essence of the dissertation and Chapter 3 of this study outlines the task of the school and its responsibility to produce self-directed citizens who will be an asset to both the individual and society. This idea 75 also strengthens the reciprocity between the school and the community. The South African Schools' Act, on the other hand, outlines the parents' responsibilities as follows.
• Parents must ensure that their children attend school every day of the term. • Parents' failure to send a child to school without permission may result in a fine or imprisonment. • Parents must play an active role in supporting a positive learning environment at their child's school. • Parents must help the school decide if it should charge school fees. • Parents must pay school fees, if they are set, if possible unless exempted.
The researcher has attempted in the above paragraph to show how analysis and interpretation can be undertaken. The interpretation has been embracing and in section 4.8 individual questions will be analysed.
4.8 INTERPRETATION OF THE 43 RESPONDENTS
For the purpose of this study, the researcher involved 43 respondents who were interviewed individually. Here individual answers will be analysed and interpreted according to the number of responses given to each question and added to obtain the total responses. All the original questions from 1 - 20 have been interpreted.
Question 1: With regard to the role which schools play in the RDP process, 30 respondents of a total of 43 feel the schools in Mamelodi play a minimum role in the RDP.
Of the 30 respondents, 12 felt there is still a lack of understanding of the process as such. One of the 12 respondents states as follows: "RDP officials are very invisible to the community."
Of all 11 respondents that feel RDP plays an average role, only 3 state that the process varies. The responses are as follows: "RDP varies from school to school." 76 "In some schools there are signs, whereas in others nothing actually happens." "The RDP is going on in some schools."
Only one respondent states that schools in Mamelodi play a role in the RDP, but does not state exactly how.
It is clear from the 30 respondents that generally the schools don't contribute maximally to the RDP process. The reasons for this may be that:
Schools do not as yet understand what RDP is all about. • Limited funds might be hindering the process as such. • Perhaps some schools want to do something but don't just know how, and don't know whom to contact in this regard. • Another reason might be that the schools are not certain about their actual role in the RDP because it is a new concept.
Question 2: With regard to the schools' contribution towards the RDP, only 17 respondents have given examples. An example cited by most respondents is "operation clean up", otherwise 26 have not answered or commented.
It would seem that there are not as yet any visible contributions that the schools have made towards the RDP in Mamelodi. The "operation clean up" which is taking place especially in Primary Schools shows that children in Primary Schools can still be instructed to clean the surroundings of the schools. It is just unfortunate that at Secondary Schools, teachers cannot longer convince the pupils to engage in such operation clean up. It is, however encouraging to note that the Mamelodi Greening Committee formed by principals to green the school yards, has finally led to the establishment of the Nelson Mandela Park. Some of the local people who are not employed were able to get jobs during the establishment of the park.
This was sponsored by the Jewish National Fund, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Trees for Africa and other sponsors. This Committee felt that such an establishment would offer the community of Mamelodi a place for relaxation and 77 encourages children to love and respect nature.
The project, which was officially opened by the President on the 6 September 1996, can be seen as a great contribution towards the RDP.
There are some residents from Mamelodi who have been already employed and more will still get jobs as the project is still at Phase 1 level. Phase 2 will be the Nursery, followed by the environmental centre. This Park should be an eye-opener to other groups and businesses that the communities around the city need help to raise their standard of living and make their environments worth living in.
Question 3: As regards parental involvement in the societal activities of the school, 26 out of 43 respondents feel parents play a minimum role, 13 average role and only 4 feel they play a maximum role. The majority feels parents should become more involved.
The minimal role that parents play might be as a result of the low standard of education that the parents have. Other factors that might impede the development of parental involvement are negative attitudes, previous poor school relations, local and authoritative support.
Some principals have a tendency of always accusing parents for the bad behaviour of their children, or even undermining their intelligence.
The following quotes show the minimal role that parents involve themselves in.
Community leader: "Parents are inclined to leave everything to the principal and staff of the schools."
Community leader: "The faithful few attend parents day meeting. The majority couldn't care less."
Community leader: "Parents need to be educated in their involvement in school activities." 78 Management Council: "Parents are discouraged by these teacher unions inciting students against parents."
Management Council: "Some parents seem to be ignorant of their responsibility and are discouraged by lack of order that prevails in schools."
Businessman: "Parents are discouraged by the present disorder at schools, that is, lack of discipline." This idea correlates with what Thompson (1994:265) said, that "Discipline hauls learning".
Teacher: "Some parents are discouraged by the bad behaviour displayed by some teachers."
Teacher: "Parents get involved only when there are problems in schools, that is, when the principal has misappropriated funds and feel he must be fired."
Student: " Some parents don't care about their children or what is happening at schools."
Other respondents said parents are not interested in the education of their children. Lack of order, bad behaviour by some teachers, unions that incite students against school authorities might be the cause of this lack of interest by some parents. One respondent who feels parents only play an average role in societal activities says: "Schools are perceived as institutions for Government, not for the community." This comment shows that the spirit of "ownership" still leaves much to be desired. One of the respondents who feels that parents play a maximum role remarks that "Our Education Department has given the parents more powers even to choose and employ teachers. The South African Schools' Act stresses the importance of parental involvement in the education of their children.
Therefore, it seems that the majority of the respondents are adamant that the involvement of parents needs to be attended to. Every parent has his or her right to be involved in his or her child's education. 79 Question 4: On the question of how communities should be encouraged to become "co-owners" of the school, 39 respondents feel they should be encouraged, whereas only 4 feel they shouldn't.
Some quotes from respondents who feel the community should be more encouraged to become "co-owners" of the school: Businessman: "In most cases, action plan should follow after encouraging the community verbally."
Community leader: "The schools belong to the communities and education in this regard is still sadly lacking. They should be involved in school activities."
Teacher: "Encouraging communities to become 'co-owners' will encourage parents to be proud of their school.
Management council: "Once communities become 'co-owners' of the school, this will eliminate some of the problems that schools experience, for example, vandalism."
Teacher: "Encouraging communities to become to-owners' will instil a sense of pride in the community."
Principal: "The more they are involved, the more they will become proud of the school."
Head of Department: "Encouraging communities to become to-owners' will further encourage parents to look after their schools."
Question 5: On the question how the community should assist schools in addressing disciplinary problems like drug abuse, unruly behaviour, 38 respondents feel the community should totally assist in addressing such problems: Some quotes from respondents who feel the community should totally assist in addressing disciplinary problems will be tabulated as follows: 80 Management Council: "Shebeens should really play a major role in stopping to sell liquor to school children."
Management Council: "Disciplinary committees should be established whereby such pupils are referred to by the school to address the problems."
Teacher: "The school cannot address all disciplinary problems without the assistance of the community. This idea correlates with the question of reciprocity between the school and the community which has been discussed in the text."
Teacher: "Parents should not expect the school to solve all their problems."
Principal: "Children belong to the community, hence the community should assist in these problems."
A strict code of conduct should be in operation so that clear guidelines, can be implemented in taking disciplinary measures. Somewhere in the text, the South African School's Act discusses this code of conduct.
The sooner the government moves towards compulsory education the better. The total phasing out of "corporal punishment" has made things worse. The rod has been spared and the child has been spoiled.
Question 6: With regard to the school's involvement in controlling the flow of traffic around the school, 34 respondents feel the school should totally assist. Some of the comments are the following:
Teacher: "There are few road traffic officers to look at school's patrols, therefore schools must be allowed to train students to do the job. In this way the children will learn more about traffic regulations."
Management council: "Establishing scholar patrol teams to help." 81 Community Leader: "The school should monitor the flow of traffic and inform the local traffic department of any dangers or unbecoming behaviour by road users."
Community Leaders: "Scholar patrol points should be supervised sufficiently by the schools."
One principal has remarked that the school should assist fairly and "not at the expense of the pupils' or teacher's time". Another principal feels that the school should assist fairly, otherwise this is the "function of the traffic department."
Generally, the community is concerned about the safety of their children to and from school. Some parents have even gone to an extent of erecting "bumps" to force motorists to drive slowly.
Many schools in Mamelodi are built close to busy streets used by taxi's. Whilst this makes it easier for the children to use taxi's to schools, there is still great concern by parents that the community should totally assist. The traffic department does not have enough manpower to engage at these various points.
Question 7: Concerning the involvement of parents, teachers, learners, non-teaching staff, the principal, the community and school governing bodies the following responses were given.
39 respondents feel that parents or guardians are totally involved in school governing bodies, 3 fairly involved and one not involved. It is true that parents should be involved in governing bodies so that they can make proper decisions about the education of their own children. This point correlates with what the South African School's Act emphasises. 35 respondents feel teachers should be totally involved. Obviously, teachers act "in loco parentis". They are responsible for proper guidance to the children regarding their future careers.
Concerning learners, 27 respondents feel they should be fairly involved. This indicates that there are areas where learners shouldn't feature, that is, interviewing 82 teachers, disciplining teachers and other learners.
As for the non-teaching staff, 26 respondents feel they should be fairly involved, more so that they are not professionally trained.
40 respondents feel that the principal should be totally involved. This is obvious because he is the manager of the school and has information about the school as such.
With regard to the community, 34 of the 43 respondents feel the community should be totally involved. This already indicates the importance of the relationship between the school and the community. Regarding the degree of involvement in school governing bodies, the principal comes first, then parents or guardians, teachers, the community, the learners and lastly the non-teaching staff.
Comments by some respondents are:
Management Council: "Learners and non-teaching staff may not be competent to deal with some of the sensitive issues in education, i.e. professional matters."
Teacher: "The above mentioned bodies help in the total building and shaping of our education situations. A principal remarked that 'schools are for academic and professional activities, therefore parents and the community should not interfere too much'."
Another principal feels that: "People feel proud of something if they are part of the decision making."
A member of the Management Council comments that parents, teachers and the community should work as a team in governing bodies.
Question 8: Concerning the authority, acceptability of the principal, 40 respondents feel he/she should be accepted to a great extent. A member of the Management council 83
comments as follows: "Any leader of a public institution must have powers to imple- ment rightful decisions.
The principal is responsible for both the organisational and the educational climate of a school.
The principal utilises the teachers optimally by involving them in decision-making and task performance. A feeling of justice and tolerance which will have a positive effect on the realisation of objectives, will thus develop.
The authority and acceptability of the principal is important because he is a key figure in the improvement process. Goodlad (1984:306) gives the following reasons:
student learning can either be improved or hampered by the school/principal. the quality of educational programmes is the responsibility of the principal teachers' growth or suppression is caused by the school principal formal and informal school climate which promotes learning is determined especially by the principal.
There are presently 11 schools in Mamelodi that are operating without principals. There are some principals who have retired and no replacements have as yet been made, other principals have just been evicted from schools by either parents, staff or students.
Such schools are faced with many disciplinary problems from unruly behaviour of some students. Many students are seen roaming the streets during school time.
The Department should also take serious disciplinary action against those people responsible for the uncalled for ejection of principals from the schools.
Question 9: With regard to the bridging function of the governing body between the school and the community, 25 respondents feel the governance body is fulfilling this bridging function 84 between the school and the community to a great extent because:
Parents can know about the school through members of the governance body. Special events for parents (for example, parents' meeting and concerts) can be conveyed to parents through members of the governance body.
Information through the governance body can reach parents who assist with the extra- mural activities (sports, art).
One principal comments as follows: "The bridging exercise serves as a line of communication between the school and the community."
A Management Council member states that: "Governance body knows what the community wants, that is its aspirations.
Question 10: Concerning the question of how the school should facilitate the process of introducing entrepreneurship education into the schools, 25 respondents feel that the schools should facilitate the process of entrepreneurship education to a great extent.
One teacher remarks that learning should not only be academic, but be related to the outside world. An example given by one principal is that children be given tasks of raising funds for the school trips and be allowed to manage tuckshops in the school campus.
A new curriculum that is skill orientation based, continuously assessed, should be in place now.
The Mamelodi Adult Centre is presently offering skills in typing, dressmaking and day- care training for mothers. The Mamelodi Teachers' Centre has recently opened a computer centre where members of the community can come for lessons in computer literacy. 85 Question 11: On the question how the school can help in solving the problem of over-population, 19 respondents feel to some extent and 17 respondents to a maximum extent. It is difficult here to assess the general tendency of the people.
Some respondents have stated that: "The school should offer sex-education to curb the rate of over-population. One principal feels that immigration, refugees and other people who have to come to Gauteng Province to seek jobs will make it very difficult for the schools to cope with this type of problem. Many respondents are not certain that this could be the task of the school.
Question 12: This question concerns the school's role in addressing the problem of unemployment.
Almost half the number 22 from 43 feel the school should assist greatly. One principal states that: "Communities could plan activities (for example, paving) in which the school (from RDP) can hire people from those communities."
The Mamelodi Schools have RDP funds available for renovating the schools. The local unemployed residents can benefit from this type of scheme.
The Nelson Mandela Park which is now under construction has offered Mamelodi people jobs, and the park, after completion, will still require manpower to maintain it.
Question 13: Concerning the extent to which schools can improve the involvement of local businesses, 25 respondents feel this should be done to a great extent. A principal feels this should be incorporated in Management Councils and help in fundraising projects. Some businessmen can be requested to audit the finances of the school.
One teacher feels that the business people should be invited to attend social activities at school and indicate to them some of the needs of the school. Finally, schools in Mamelodi should continue involving business people in projects that have to do with the community. They can for example be included in forums like 86 the Literacy Forum, Career-guidance forum, operation clean-up forum, et cetera.
Question 14: On how the school should succeed in developing a "working culture" in the child, 25 respondents feel that the school has succeeded to some extent.
This question is almost similar to the question on "unemployment". Personally I feel the curriculum which is skill orientation-based can help to develop a "working culture" in the child.
Whilst.at school, the child will now and then be involved in some practical work which will prepare him well for the working culture.
Question 15: 27 Respondents feel that to some extent the school has succeeded in teaching the child to be tolerant, respective, and supportive to the needs of society. A principal remarks that "Concentration is too much on the "syllabus" than on some values so important in society".
A second principal feels that "This needs all the support from all stakeholders". Another principal feels that "Some schools are still on the "protest theatre". From the above comments, it shows that children still have "protest" ideas and are not as yet prepared to be tolerant and receptive.
Some children feel that being a representative of the student body implies opposition to school authorities. This type of negative attitude needs to be seriously addressed to bring back the learning culture in schools.
Question 16: With regard to the school's awareness of the social needs of the community, 25 respondents feel the school is fairly aware. Many respondents have not given any comments, which implies that they are uncertain about the school's awareness of the social needs or the community. This uncertainty may be as a result of ignorance or general apathy by the community. 87
There are a few respondents who have advanced the following responses:
Teacher: "The community is hesitant to come up with its needs."
Principal: "Lack of skills makes it difficult for the school to intervene in community projects."
Business Leader: "The community should reveal its social needs to the school."
HOD: "Community members are themselves not aware of their own needs and schools are therefore far from understanding them."
Being aware of the social needs of the community, is one of the important goals of a school. The problem with Mamelodi schools seems to be as follows:
Both the school and the community have not yet identified these needs. The school may not have the skills to engage in identifying such needs. On the other hand, the community does not advance its needs to the school. There seems to be a communication breakdown between the school and the community. It is therefore the task of the principal and the staff to reach the community and work out mechanisms for better communication.
Question 17: With regard to the school developing a sense of co-operation and comradeship amongst the youth, 26 respondents feel this can be done to some extent. This explains clearly that the schools have not yet addressed this question competently.
Some respondents have given the following comments:
Teacher: "Getting involved in group activities which are social and educational."
Student: "This should be inculcated during sporting activities." 88 Teacher: "More social activities to be encouraged to foster this sense of comrade- ship."
The responses all centre on social activities that should be arranged to foster this spirit of comradeship. I also agree with these respondents that comradeship amongst the youth can only be realised through engagement in social activities.
Developing a sense of co-operation and comradeship amongst the youth is another important goal of a school. Schools should help children to understand, appreciate and value persons belonging to cultural and ethnic groups different from their own and thus increase affiliation and decrease alienation.
Schools in Mamelodi can encourage this comradeship by organising youth activities where pupils can get to know and understand one another better.
The principal and the staff should take the lead in encouraging this sense of co- operation.
Question 18: Concerning the way the school should assist the child in developing a positive social value, 25 respondents feel the school can do this only to some extent. This indicates that the school is still lacking in this regard. One principal has remarked that: "It is easier in the Primary Schools but mostly neglected at high schools."
Many respondents have not given comments in this regard which is an indication that they are not sure of the schools' role in developing positive social values.
The problem here may stem from the "protest idea" that is still prevalent in the minds of many children.
Question 19: Question 19 which states: "To what extent does the school succeed in promoting positive social values? is the same as question 18. The figures are almost identical in that here 26 respc: 'dents feel the school can just contribute to some extent. 89
In interpreting questions 18 and 19, the following seem to be the tendency. Schools in Mamelodi have not properly addressed the question of developing positive values. The respondents are uncertain and feel that the culture of learning has waned.
It seems primary schools principals and teachers can still manage to control children. Devotions at assembly are still conducted and this is how principals can manage to address pupils and inculcate some of these positive social values.
In secondary schools there are no longer such devotional gatherings and pupils report to school at their own time. There is no time to catch them up as a group. Some of them use drugs in the school neighbourhood. All these militate against the discipline of the school. The teaching of morals and development of social values have suffered greatly.
Question 20: The last question is about the extent to which the school fulfils its social obligation or responsibility within the community.
This is the essence of this dissertation. It is the responsibility of the school to produce self-directed citizens who will be an asset to both society and the individual.
Schools should help every child to prepare for a world of rapid changes and unforeseeable demands in which continuing education throughout adult life should be a normal expectation. Theoretically, it is the responsibility of the school to achieve the following goals: academic goals, vocational goals, social civic and cultural goals and personal goals.
With regard to this responsibility, 30 respondents feel the school can only fulfil this responsibility to some extent and many have not given any comments. This seems to be an indication that they are uncertain about the social obligation that the school should fulfil within the community. One Management Council member has remarked: "The school no longer has the power because the community despises the teacher". 90 A head of department states: "Schools are run per excitement and do not see this as their responsibility".
A community leader states that: "The school is trying to offer education, but because of some disturbances from the community, it can't reach its social obligation fully."
Another community leader remarks that structures must be established to give guidance to schools as to what role they could play.
According to the respondents, schools experience problems regarding this responsibility.
The fact that the image of some teachers has been tarnished in the community means the schools can no longer execute their responsibility properly. It seems there are disturbances within the community such as lack of discipline, drug abuse and alcoholism that have made it difficult for schools to continue with their responsibility.
Many parents in Mamelodi have decided to send their children to schools in the city because they have lost trust in some of the teachers in the townships. Children are seen roaming the streets when they are supposed to be at school.
It would seem the schools in Mamelodi are no longer playing their part. The culture of learning and teaching is completely lost and the need for reconstruction is greatly felt.
4.9 SUMMARY
As far as the first category is concerned, schools do not as yet understand what RDP is all about. Perhaps to some extent schools would like to do something, but don't know how and who the contact person should be.
Many respondents feel there are not as yet any visible contributions that the schools have made towards the RDP in Mamelodi. Parents have lost interest in the education of their children because of lack of order, bad behaviour by some 91 teachers, unions that incite students against school authorities.
Regarding the second category, namely school governance activities, parental involvement, parents don't know what is expected of them, because of their low level of education. Some members of the teacher's unions that incite students against school authorities discourage those who are interested. Parents can only become "co-owners" when they participate in the activities of the school, for example, social activities, financial contributions and other school projects.
The South African School's Act also encourages communities to become "co- owners" of the school. Concerning disciplinary problems like drug abuse and unruly behaviour, communities should wholeheartedly assist in addressing such problems. According to the South African School's Act, school-governing bodies should be totally involved in decision-making of the school. In preparing the child for the "culture of work", it is imperative that schools should introduce entrepreneurship education.
From the above analysis and interpretation parents need to be educated in their involvement in school activities. This idea is also promulgated in the South African School's Act. Some respondents feel that the school fulfils its social obligation or responsibility within the community. This thought correlated with the essence of the dissertation and Chapter 3 outlines the task of the school and its responsibility to produce self-directed citizens who will be an asset to both the individual and society.
Parental involvement in the societal activities and school ownership need to be encouraged. Some of the respondents are afraid to participate in the activities of the school because of some of the teachers who can sometimes incite pupils against them.
It is important that the governing body should continue fulfilling a bridging function between the school and the community and also facilitate the process of introducing entrepreneurship education into the schools to prepare pupils to be good and productive citizens. This idea links up with one of the tasks of a school mentioned in 92 Chapter 3, that is, preparing pupils for citizenship.
As far as categories three and four are concerned, namely the interaction between schools and society, it seems to be that both the school and the community in Mamelodi have not yet identified some of the social needs. Schools may not have the skills to engage in identifying such needs. The principal and staff should work out mechanisms for better communication with the community.
It is important that the community should becoem encouraged to become "co-owners" of the school by offering some social services to the school. Business people in the community can finance some of the schools' projects. This will eventually develop that sense of ownership.
The school needs to involve the local business and private enterprises in financial matters of the school and also develop a "working culture" in the child. From the questionnaire it was found that schools should greatly assist in involving local businesses and private enterprises in the financial matters of the school. 93 CHAPTER 5
FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
5.1 INTRODUCTION
The study about the role of the school as a reconstruction agent in society with reference to Mamelodi has been summed up to establish or determine how far the study has succeeded in reaching its aim.
It was essential to sketch the theoretical layout of the present problems of schooling and how these have affected education in Mamelodi. • As a result of these unfavourable schooling problems, order within society has been disturbed, and this has to be addressed in order to transform and renew society.
5.2 PROBLEM RE-STATED
The main objective of this study was to gain insight into the contribution that the schools could offer in the social reconstruction process in Mamelodi. The main focus of the study is the interplay between the school and the community within the school and outside the school premises. Such information obtained could then throw light on the expectation of the school in the Reconstruction and Development Programme.
This study aims at gaining insight into the role that the school plays in the reconstruction process. The study also enables the writer to make some recommendations towards solving some of the problems experienced by Mamelodi in the education of its youth.
5.3 FINDINGS
There is little that has been achieved regarding the RDP because it is a new concept 94 and the Mamelodi community needs more information on it. The education standard in Mamelodi has deteriorated because of many disciplinary problems that need to be seriously addressed. Many good teachers have left the profession because of the chaotic state of affairs in schooling.
Many primary schools in Mamelodi have large numbers of pupils, especially in the squatter camps which make it difficult for teachers to cope. Some schools have resorted to double sessions to address this problem. In general, the "culture of learning" is lost, and different stakeholders in the community have to do something about it.
5.3.1 Findings from the literature
The study of literature showed that the school could play a role in the social reconstruction of society. The school has a mandate to carry out towards the community and vice versa. The school should, as far as possible, involve the parent community in realising some of its goals.
The principal is expected to take the leading role in bringing about this close co- operation between the school and the community. Some of the main characteristics of Chapter 2 are the structural elements of the community of Mamelodi, elements which should interact with the school in trying to address some of the problems confronting both the school and the community. Some of the social problems include disciplinary problems like drug abuse, unruly behaviour, etc.
Literature on school governing bodies has shown that parental involvement in school activities is of vital importance, and that the authority, acceptability of the principal should be regarded by the community as of the utmost significance. In Chapter 3 the main tasks of the school were highlighted, both the academic and vocational training of the school. 95 5.3.2 Findings from interviewees
After the study of literature, a structured questionnaire was designed from the main issues from the different chapters. This structured questionnaire was developed and administered on principals, heads of departments, teachers, students, Management Council members, business people and community leaders of Mamelodi. The respondents expressed themselves on various issues concerning the role of the school. The following findings were observed.
That there is a great need for schools to take part in the RDP. This is supported by the fact that many respondents could not give concrete examples of the schools' contribution towards the RDP.
There is a great need for parental involvement in the societal activities of the school. They should be encouraged to become "co-owners" of the school. That parents or guardians, teachers, principals and the community should be totally involved in the schools governing bodies.
That the governing body should continue with a bridging function between the school and the community and also facilitate the process of introducing entrepreneurship education into the schools.
5.4 RECOMMENDATIONS
Major areas of concern from the study can be highlighted as follows:
It is evident from the study that RDP has not been clearly understood by people of Mamelodi. More information should be exposed to all those who are involved.
The second recommendation is that the community be encouraged to become "co-owners" of the school by way of involving parents in some of the projects that the schools intend to undertake. 96 The more governing bodies are involved in the governance of schools the better because disciplinary problems will be minimised and this will lead to an improved learning culture.
It is further recommended that the school curriculum should be adjusted to facilitate the introduction of entrepreneurship education into the school.
It is also imperative that schools improve the involvement of local businesses and private enterprises in financial matters of the school. This may lead to the adoption of such schools and more funds could be raised to help schools.
Disciplinary action should be taken against some teachers who have scared or discouraged parents from participating in social activities of the school.
Workshops should be arranged for governing bodies where clear guidelines could be given on how to manage the schools.
5.5 CONCLUDING REMARKS
The role of the school in the reconstruction programme should be viewed as partnership between the school and the community. Many parents seem to be ignorant of what the school can provide. More information and better communication could be the answer to this problem.
This study was only conducted in segments of Mamelodi. It would be interesting if a similar study could be conducted in other areas for the purpose of getting a broader perspective which would, in turn, help policymakers to approach education with a better background. This study should serve as an indication that the present state of education needs serious attention. 97
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ADDENDUM A
STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE
(1) To what extent do schools in Mamelodi play a role in the RDP process?
i) Minimum role ii) Average role Maximum role
Further comments:
(2) Give concrete examples of the schools' contribution towards the RDP process in Mamelodi?
...... HI) ......
(3) To what extent are parents involved in the societal activities of the school?
i) Minimum role ii) Average role Maximum role
Further comments:
To what extent should communities be encouraged to become "co-owners" of the school?
i) Not encouraged Fairly encouraged More encouraged
Further comments:
To what extent could the community assist the school in addressing disciplinary problems like drug abuse, unruly behaviour and others.
i) Not assist ii) Fairly assist Totally assist
Further comments:
To what extent should the school be involved in controlling the flow of traffic around. the school?
i) Not assist ii) Fairly assist Totally assist
Further comments:
(7) To what extent should the following members be involved in school governing bodies:
(i) parents or guardians ' Not involved( Fairly involved! ;Totally involved! I ! !
(ii) teachers Not involved! !Fairly involved! !Totally involved
learners (in secondary schools) Not involved! ;Fairly involved! !Totally involved;
non-teaching staff Not involved • Fairly involved Totally involved!
the principal Not involved: ;Fairly involved! Totally involved!
members of the community Not involved :Fairly involved! : Totally involved
Further comments:
(8) To what extent should the authority, acceptability of the principal be regarded by the community?
i) Not at all ii) To some extent Great extent
Further comments:
3
To what extent does the governance body fulfill a bridging function between the school and the community?
i ) Not at all To some extent Great extent
Further comments:
To what ex-tent should the school facilitate the process of introducing entrepreneurship education into the schools? Give concrete examples.
i) Not at all ii) To some extent Great extent
Further comments:
(11) To what extent can the school help in solving the problem of over-population?
i) Minimum ii) Average Maximum
Comments: ......
4 -
(12) How can the school assist in addressing the problem of unemployment.
i) Not assist To some extent Assist greatly
Comments:
To what extent could the schools improve" the involvement of local businesses and private enterprises in financial matters of the school? Give concrete examples.
i) Not assist ii To some extent Assist greatly
Comments:
To what extent does the school succeed in developing a "working culture" in the child?
i) ii) 111 A-±5-6.1 greatly Not a.S.c.€si To some extent C-Le_C
Further comments:
5
To what extent does the school succeed in teaching the child to be tolerant, receptive, reconciliatory, supportive to the needs of society?
i) Noc at all ii) To some extent Great extent
Further comments:
To what extent is the school aware of the social needs of the community?
i) Not aware Fairly aware Mostly aware
Comments:
17) To what extent does the school develop a sense of co-operation or comradeship amongst the youth.
Not at all ii) To some extent Great extent
Further comments:
6
(18) To what extent does the school assist the child in developing a positive social values.
Not at all ii) To some extent Great extent
Further comments:
To what extent does the school succeed in promoting_ positive social values.
Not at all To some extent Great extent
Further comments:
To what extent does the school fulfill its social obligation or responsibility within the community?
i) Not at all ii) To some extent Great extent
Further comments: