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A Child's Right to a Basic Education: a Comparative Study

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A Child's Right to a Basic Education: a Comparative Study A CHILD’S RIGHT TO A BASIC EDUCATION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY by CHRIZELL CH ŰRR submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR LEGUM at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: PROF JM KRUGER JUNE 2012 Abstract Education is since the inception of the world regarded as the formal process by which society conveys its accumulated knowledge, skills, customs and values from one generation to another. Today, education is a human right and the right to education and specifically the right to (a) basic education is acknowledged and emphasised worldwide. In South Africa, the right to a basic education is entrenched in the Constitution and is regarded as one of the most crucial constitutional rights, particularly because it promotes economical and social well-being. The protection of a child’s right to a basic education in terms of the South African Constitution together with the most important international instruments pertaining to education will be extensively discussed and the most important similarities and differences between, and challenges in the legal systems of South Africa, New Zealand and Namibia regarding a child’s right to (a) basic education will be addressed with due consideration of factors such as early childhood development and education, mother tongue education and HIV/AIDS which may affect a child’s right to (a) basic education. It is submitted that the success of any country, whether it is social, financial or economic success, depends on how its citizens are educated. Moreover, a good education system is crucial, not only for ensuring that its populace are well educated, but also for optimal human development and for the maintenance and preservation of socially responsive economic and political systems. Education is a life-long process and in order to give effect to the right to (a) basic education, the adoption and implementation of the recommendations made throughout this study are proposed. Key terms The right to (a) basic education; Early childhood development and education; Mother tongue education; HIV/AIDS; Constitutional protection of the right to (a) basic education; Protection of the right to education in international law; State obligations; Children’s rights; International instruments; Education systems. Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude to all my colleagues and friends for their support and encouragement during the time of this study. The following persons deserve a special word of thanks: • My promoter, Professor Hanneretha Kruger, for her invaluable support and guidance and for being an outstanding promoter and excellent professor. • Professor Coenraad Visser, for his continued support and interest in my studies. • My parents, Charlie and Christine, for their unconditional love and support and for providing me with the BEST solid foundation any child could ask for. • My brothers, Johann and Danie, for their love and support. • My grandfather, Danie, for believing in me. • Philip Stoop, for his continuous love, support and encouragement. Lastly, I would like to thank my Heavenly Father for the wisdom, ability and inspiration without which this thesis would not have been possible. Thank you dear Lord for your endless love and ceaseless grace on me. Table of contents ______________________________________________________________________ Chapter 1: Introduction ______________________________________________________________________ 1. PROBLEM STATEMENT ............................................................................. 1 1.1 Background ...................................................................................... 1 1.2 Research problem ............................................................................ 3 1.3 Purposes ........................................................................................... 3 1.4 Significance ...................................................................................... 4 2. POINTS OF DEPARTURE, ASSUMPTIONS AND HYPOTHESES ............. 4 2.1 Hypothesis .................................................................................................. 6 3. FRAMEWORK OF THESIS .......................................................................... 7 Chapter 2: The philosophy and history of education – an overview ______________________________________________________________________ 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 11 2. PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION ................................................................ 12 3 EDUCATION IN ANCIENT EGYPT ............................................................ 13 3.1 The rise of formal education ......................................................... 13 3.2 Elementary training ........................................................................ 14 i Table of contents 4. EDUCATION IN ANCIENT CHINA ............................................................. 15 4.1 Introduction .................................................................................... 15 4.2 The Chinese curriculum ................................................................ 16 4.3 Chinese educational institutions .................................................. 16 4.4 Confucius, the great teacher ......................................................... 17 5. EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA ............................................................. 18 5.1 The rise of formal education ......................................................... 18 5.2 Brahman education ........................................................................ 19 5.3 Buddhist education ........................................................................ 20 6. ANCIENT GREEK EDUCATION ................................................................ 20 6.1 Introduction .................................................................................... 20 6.2 Periods of Greek education........................................................... 21 6.3 Education during the Homeric Period (900 – 750 B.C.) .............. 22 6.4 Old Greek education ...................................................................... 22 6.5 Spartan education .......................................................................... 23 6.6 Athenian education ........................................................................ 25 6.6.1 Introduction ............................................................................ 25 6.6.2 Early Athenian education (640 – 550 B.C.)............................ 25 6.6.3 Late Athenian education ........................................................ 28 7. MAJOR GREEK EDUCATORS ................................................................. 29 7.1 Socrates .......................................................................................... 29 7.2 Plato ................................................................................................ 31 7.3 Aristotle .......................................................................................... 34 ii Table of contents 8. ANCIENT ROMAN EDUCATION ............................................................... 38 8.1 Early Roman education ................................................................. 38 8.2 The mother as educator................................................................. 39 8.3 The father as educator ................................................................... 40 8.4 Early education in the Roman Empire .......................................... 41 8.5 Later Roman education ................................................................. 42 8.5.1 The education of women ...................................................... 43 8.5.2 The education of men ........................................................... 43 8.5.3 The orator .............................................................................. 43 9. MAJOR ROMAN EDUCATORS ................................................................. 44 9.1 Cicero .............................................................................................. 45 9.2 Quintilian......................................................................................... 46 10. CHRISTIAN EDUCATION ............................................................... 49 10.1 The building blocks of Christian education ................................. 50 10.1.1 God ........................................................................................ 50 10.1.2 Man ....................................................................................... 51 10.1.3 The Bible ............................................................................... 51 10.1.4 Church ................................................................................... 52 10.2 Christian educators ....................................................................... 53 11. JEWISH EDUCATION ................................................................................ 54 12. MAJOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATORS ........................................................... 55 iii Table of contents 12.1 Jesus, the Teacher ......................................................................... 55 12.2 St Augustine ................................................................................... 57 13. MEDIEVAL EDUCATION ........................................................................... 59 13.1 Education during the early Middle Ages ...................................... 60 13.1.1 Early
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