"A LIBERATING BREEZE OF WESTERN CIVILISATION"? A Political History of Fundamental Pedagogics as an Expression of. Dutch-Afrikaner Relationships Caroline Suransky-Dekker "A LIBERATING BREEZE OF WESTERN CIVILISATION"? A Political History ofFundamental Pedagogics as an Expression ofDutch­ Afrikaner Relationships Caroline Suransky-Dekker Dissertation Submitted in Fulfilment ofthe Requirements for a Doctoral Degree in Education (D.Ed.) in the Department ofCurriculum Studies, Faculty ofEducation at the University ofDurban-Westville (UDW), South Africa Supervisors: Prof. J.D. Jansen (University ofDurban-Westville, South Africa) Dr B. Levering (University ofUtrecht, The Netherlands) April 1998 ii Abstract Fundamental pedagogics was the only education theory that was taught to the vast majority of student teachers during the apartheid era. This exclusivity was consciously created and maintained in the context of Christian National Education. The proponents of fundamental pedagogics attempted to legitimise their theory by invoking the work of the Dutch educator, M.l Langeveld. At first glance, there is indeed a remarkable resemblance between Langeveld's pedagogy and fundamental pedagogics. This thesis investigates why similar-sounding statements of the two pedagogies turn out to mean something quite different in their distinctive contexts. Previously, critics have analysed fundamental pedagogics as if it were a South African invention. Its Dutch origins, diffusion and reinterpretation were lost in these analyses. This study emphasises and investigates the Dutch roots of fundamental pedagogics and traces its historical journey from Holland to South Africa. This journey, set between 1881 and 1963, is presented in two historical narratives, both constructed around unique data sources. This thesis presents fundamental pedagogics as an adaptation, arguably a distortion, of Dutch education theory, mediated largely by politically conservative and racist forces. The largely indiscriminate adoption of the rhetoric of Dutch social thought showed a disrespect for the complexity of the relationship between pedagogical theories and their site of production. Langeveld's education theory was developed in the context of post Second World War Holland on a modernist and social democracy ticket. Fundamental pedagogics emerged in apartheid South Africa in an ethnic-nationalist and racist environment. These divergent meanings clearly expose pedagogy as a political as well as an educational project. This study concludes that the attempt to legitimise fundamental pedagogics by invoking its Dutch roots failed. Some ofthe central claims and assumptions ofthe original theory were abandoned to accommodate apartheid conditions. iii Dedication I dedicate this thesis to my father, Jan Dekker, who never had an opportunity to study at a university, but whose life-long interest in history has been a major source ofinspiration to me. iv A Liberating Breeze... ,... I personally believe that, without an ongoing transfusion ... (of Dutch culture) ... the Afrikaner culture is doomed to disappear as an independent culture, only to become an Afrikaner (version of a) superficial British-colonial or American culture. This has actually already started to happen.... (This process can be reversed if Holland is acknowledged as) the root through which the life juices can be absorbed ... (and) ... the open window through which the liberating breeze ofWestern civilisation can freely flow ....'- (Professor D. Pont or the Genootskap Nederland­ SuidAfrika, dated 27 December 1948, to Dutch Calvinist pedagogue Professor 1. Waterink. See page 160 ofthis thesis.) v Acknowledgements There were many times when I thought that I would never write this section. Any woman with two young children and a full-time job, particularly - dare I say it - with a full-time job at the University of Durban-Westville, must be either very foolish or have an amazing family and circle of friends on whom she can rely when taking on the seemingly impossible task of writing a doctoral dissertation. while I prefer to leave the question of foolishness unanswered, I do admit that there are a great number of people without whose help, interest and encouragement this study would never have been completed. I start by thanking my two supervisors. Firstly, Jonathan D. Jansen for his relentless but judicious critique, usually cushioned by his preface, 'As a friend... ': I owe him a great deal in terms of my professional growth, and I thank .him for his committed friendship and for never believing me when I said I wanted to stop working on this thesis. As a colleague in the Faculty, Jonathan also stepped in at times to teach my evening classes while I was working on this thesis. Secondly, I thank Bas Levering for his meticulous guidance and for generously sharing his office, computer and many other resources with me in 1994 and again in 1996 while I was in Holland in search of data for this study. After my return to South Africa, he perfected the art of supervision bye-mail, with his fast and skillfully-worded commentary. Another very special thank you goes to my friend Karin Pampallis who, with her characteristic gentle stamina, did an amazing editing job at the cost of her Christmas holidays. In addition, I am much indebted for the times when she looked after my girls when she still lived in Durban.. This thesis would never have come about if it wasn't for my loyal friend Brigitte Keck­ Brauninger who was just always there when I needed her most, be it for the numerous cups of coffee and talks around her kitchen table, or her generous offers for outings and sleepovers for my two daughters. I also want to thank Jiirgen Brauninger for all his computer-related help. I am lucky to have many other friends and colleagues who helped me along the way, each in their own unique manner: June Webber, Leanne Browning, Michael Samuel, Heather Hughes, Rob McCallum, Teboho Moja, Grace Jansen, John Pampallis, Prem Naidoo, David Brookes, Renuka Vithal, Daisy Pillay, Labby Rarnrathan, Shakila Thakupersad, Lucky Khumalo, Rubby Dunpath, Betty Govinden and Rookaya Bawa. As this thesis spanned the gulf between Holland and South Africa, so too do these acknowledgments. First I turn to my Dutch family: I want to thank my parents Jan and Inge Dekker, my wonderful sister Sigrid Dekker, and my aunt and friend Kitty Dekker, VI who all provided such wann hospitality, love and encouragement during both my stays in Holland. In addition, I thank Anne Marieke Steeman and Dirk lan Veldman for their fiiendship, for sharing their best Cape wines with me in both Durban and Amsterdam, and for being such incredible supporters-in-the-background in many ways. Then there is my loyal friend Liz Rouw-Riemens, who, as no other, has observed and supported me both professionally and personally for half my life-time! While still in Holland, I also want to thank Erik van den Bergh who showed such interest and kept sending me articles long after my return to South Africa. I also want to acknowledge and thank the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education for their financial assistance in 1994. I appreciate the assistance of the staff at the Suid Afrikaanse Instituut in Amsterdam, and for granting me access to so much incredible historical data. Whilst this thesis shows that I am critical of their role in Dutch-Afrikaner politics, I commend them for their wonderful archives which store a unique wealth ofdata. Next, I turn to my Suransky family: I thank Shael and Sasha Polakow-Suransky for their insightful comments on earlier drafts ofthis thesis. Then there are my wonderful parents­ in-law - firstly my late mother-in-law, Eva Suransky, who sadly is no longer there to witness the completion of this study and Kurt Suransky who at 90 years of age, still shows such tremendous interest in all the varied activities of his family. Kurt also provided me with his typical wann hospitality while I needed to be in Gauteng during my search for data. I am deeply grateful to Nester Luthuli for her warm presence, her interest in this research and all she did to enable me to complete this thesis. Lastly, I turn to my immediate family. First to my husband Leonard Suransky who at some point in the life ofthis thesis must have been the only one left with an unshakeable 'belief in its completion. I thank him for his loving support and for living through all the ups and downs with me and for his critique ofendless'drafts. I also need to thank him for his household skills - although seriously flawed, they kept the ship afloat at times.... A last thank you goes to my great daughters Sarafina and Sonya who, at the ages of 7 and 6, have already vowed never to write a thesis! I can't blame them. I am so glad that we will now get to spend more time together again, A final acknowledgement goes to the Centre for Science Development (CSD): The financial assistance of the Centre for Science Development (HSRC, South Africa) towards the publication ofthis work is hereby acknowledged, Opinions expressed in this publication and conclusions arrived at are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the Centre for Science Development. Caroline Suransky-Dekker Durban, April 1998 vu Declaration of Originality I, earoline Suransky-Dekker, declare that this dissertation is my own work, and has not been submitted previously for any degree in any university. A.c. Suransky-Dekker .. V111 Table of Contents Page Abstract ... ...................................................................................