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Democratic Transformation of Education in South Africa

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Democratic Transformation of Education in South Africa Democratic Transformation of Education in South Africa 27–28 September 2000 Stellenbosch Lodge Country Hotel Stellenbosch Table of Contents Introduction 5 Prof. Johann Steyn, Chairperson, Department of Education Policy Studies, University of Stellenbosch Opening Remarks 7 Dr Michael Lange, Resident Representative, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Johannesburg Education in an Age of Rising Transnationality 11 Prof. Wolfgang Mitter, German Institute for International Educational Research (DIPF), Frankfurt am Main, Germany Balancing Quality and Equality in Educational Transformation 21 Prof. Johann Steyn, Department of Education Policy Studies, University of Stellenbosch Education for Democracy: Revisiting Rortyan Pragmatism 29 Dr Yusef Waghid, Senior Lecturer, Department of Education Policy Studies, University of Stellenbosch The Values Underlying Quality and Equality in Educational Transformation 37 Dr Jeanette de Klerk, Department of Education Policy Studies, University of Stellenbosch Quality Education and Equal Opportunities in Education: A Current Discussion in Germany 45 Dr Hans Döbert, German Institute for International Educational Research (DIPF), Berlin Rhetoric and Language Issues in Education in the South African Democracy 51 Prof. Stanley Ridge, University of the Western Cape Dealing with the Principle of Equality in East Germany from 1945 to 1990 59 Dr Gert Geißler, German Institute for International Educational Research (DIPF), Berlin Official Policy Related to Quality and Equality in Education: A Documentary Study 63 Dr Willem du Plessis, Department of Education Policy Studies, University of Stellenbosch Educational Research as Democratic Praxis 71 Mr Lesley le Grange, University of Stellenbosch 3 Table of Contents Quality Indicators for South African Schools Against the Background of 79 International Practices Dr Heinie Brand, Eversdal Primary School Assessment: Transforming Policy into Practice 89 Dr Riana Hall & Ms Wilma Rossouw, University of Stellenbosch A Case for Human Rights Education in an African Context: The Concept and 97 the Practice Mr Tarcisio Nyatsanza, African University, Mutare, Zimbabwe Implications of Culturally Based Assumptions of Leadership for the Process of 103 Educational Transformation Dr Johan Schreuder, University of Stellenbosch The Need for the Transformation of Religion in Education: Towards an 109 Understanding of Democratic Values Dr Cornelia Roux, Department of Didactics, University of Stellenbosch Democratic Values and Content-Specific Language Teaching and Learning: 115 Experiences in the Northern Cape Dr Carol Puhl, Centre for Education Development, University of Stellenbosch & Dr Jeanette de Klerk, Department of Education Policy Studies, University of Stellenbosch Language and Democracy 127 Dr Elaine Ridge, University of Stellenbosch Can Devolution of Power Enable Transformation in South African School Systems? 133 Mr Chris Reddy, Faculty of Education, University of Stellenbosch Shaping and Sizing: Proposed Transformations of the Higher Education Landscape 139 in South Africa Prof. Eli Bitzer, University of Stellenbosch Programme 153 Participants’ List 157 Seminar Reports 161 Occasional Paper Series 163 4 Introduction The conference The Democratic Transformation of Education in South Africa was presented by the University of Stellenbosch’s Department of Educational Policy Studies, in collaboration with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAF), and was held at the Stellenbosch Lodge Country Hotel on 27 and 28 September 2000. KAF has supported the department’s efforts in promoting democratic education since 1998. The theme of the conference and the papers delivered are highly relevant to the establishment of a deep and sustainable democracy, especially in a young democracy such as South Africa. South Africans experience post-colonial and post-apartheid transformation as part of their daily lives. Transformation explicitly linked to democracy should therefore reflect democratic values. What we need in South Africa is not formal democracy, but deep democracy – democracy that would preserve and protect human rights and humane democratic values in a dynamic and responsive way. With this in mind, South African and German educationists delivered papers at this conference. The various papers covered important aspects of the theme. Some of these papers touched on official poli- cies, others on human rights issue and others still on the need for the democratisation and transforma- tion of education. The aim of the conference was to stimulate educational discourse and to promote the idea of building a democratic culture in education. We are optimistic that this publication will con- tribute towards harnessing democratisation processes in South Africa. Prof. Johann Steyn Chairperson Department Education Policy Studies University of Stellenbosch 5 Opening Remarks Michael Lange INTRODUCTION subsequently became the first Chancellor of On behalf of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation post-war Germany. (KAF), I would like to extend a very warm KAF has been cooperating with partners welcome to you all . throughout the world for almost 40 years now. This is the third time KAF has cooperated Currently, some 80 representatives oversee with the University of Stellenbosch’s some 200 projects and programmes in more Department of Educational Policy Studies in than 100 countries. In this manner, the founda- organising an event of this nature, and we are tion makes its own unique contribution to poli- delighted at being able to continue our series of cies serving peace and justice in international workshops in the interests of promoting demo- relations. cratic values in South Africa. KAF’s international activities aim at enhanc- ing democracy and development, and promot- 1. BRIEF BACKGROUND ing dialogue across national and cultural For those wondering what kind of organisation boundaries. In this way it is actively assuming KAF is, allow me to sketch a brief background a share of responsibility for shaping interna- to the German political foundations in general, tional relations, while conveying modern and to KAF in particular, as well as to outline German political culture to the rest of the some of the reasoning behind its involvement world. in South Africa. KAF currently has wide-ranging pro- The German political foundations are, we grammes in different parts of Africa , as well as believe, a unique feature of today’s democratic in the different provinces in South Africa. The culture in Germany. The move behind their foundation cooperates not only with centrist creation, which dates back to the 1960s, was political parties and their respective think- the expectation that political or civic education tanks, but also with reputable academic institu- would help develop and consolidate democracy tions, as you will note from today’s event. in post-war Germany. Both in Germany and abroad these founda- 2. EDUCATION AND DEMOCRACY tions seek to further develop and encourage As a result of the work KAF has undertaken, people to engage in political debate, thereby especially in developing countries, it has adopt- strengthening democracy and promoting a plu- ed the promotion of democracy as its most ralistic society. essential mission. We have become convinced KAF is one of six political foundations in that the creation and consolidation of a democ- Germany today, and is closely affiliated to the ratic political framework is one of the essential Christian Democratic Union Party, a centrist conditions on which any development process political party founded after the Second World depends. War. It proudly bears the name of one of its In Germany, political education is one of the founding members, Konrad Adenauer, who focal points of KAF’s work. Every year more 7 Lange than 3000 meetings and conferences reach out and 1996/97 were checked, because from then to some 150 000 people. Through these educa- on, the education system lacked a national tional activities, the foundation aims to explain agent to effect redistribution between provin- the fundamentals of a pluralistic democracy ces. from a Christian Democratic point of view and In 2000 the national norms and standards for to enhance political competence. school funding were introduced to facilitate the redistribution of non-personnel funds between 3. THE TRANSFORMATION OF EDUCATION IN schools. SOUTH AFRICA In 1994 gross inequalities in learner:educator The past five years have seen the formulation ratios were also identified as an important of several policies aimed at transforming edu- obstacle to equity, and plans were made to cation at all levels – from pre-primary to ter- develop national norms for the provision of tiary. Central to most of these policies were educators to schools. The new national guide- attempts to effect redress and equity, with the lines for educator provisioning specified a ultimate goal of providing education for all. learner:educator ratio of 1:40 at primary The appointment of Dr Kader Asmal as the schools, and 1:35 for secondary schools. new Education Minister has been well received The most serious problem encountered was by the South African public and it was refresh- that decisions about educator numbers and ing to hear Dr Asmal admit from the start, that salaries were made at national level, while the education system, especially at school level, implementation took place at provincial level. was facing great difficulties and that stern mea- As a result, these agreements were often unaf- sures were required to rectify the ills of the
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