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Republic of South Africa: An Enduring Tale of Two Unequal Systems

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The Palgrave Handbook of Race and Ethnic Inequalities in Education

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Abstract

This article offers a systematic review of sociological research in the Republic of South Africa on the relationship between race/ethnicity and educational inequality between 1980 and 2017. Eight research traditions are identified: (1) from oligarchy to democracy; (2) policy development – state versus resistance movements; (3) the impact of the removal of race-based policies; (4) racial (de) segregation; (5) (de)segregation and school resources; (6) curriculum studies; (7) teacher training and pedagogy; and (8) charting inequalities in student outcomes, with oligarchy to democracy and policy development being the most dominant research traditions. Most of the research conducted in the Republic of South Africa focuses on explaining ‘underachievement’ as in the research tradition of racial (de) segregation and school resources in relationship to the majority of Black students and is characterized by the use of quantitative research methods such as national and international assessment tests, all types of surveys, regression analysis and a more positivistic approach to social sciences. The dominant philosophical approach is structuralist in nature, informed by a critical or Marxist perspective, and pays very little attention to human agency. This rich body of research is written mainly in English and developed in a context characterized by a close collaborative relationship between educational sociologists, economists and research bodies such as the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). Research traditions are increasingly assessing the impact of education policies after 20 years of democracy, including the assimilative nature of the legislative framework. Calls for the decolonisation of education have been prompted by the continued exclusion of the black majority from quality education, with a negative impact on social cohesion.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Racial categories as defined in terms of apartheid legislation. Whites were of European extraction, Indians originally from Asia, and Coloured as people of mixed race. Black Africans were given various designations, including ethnic ones including tribal orogins (Zulu, Xhosa and so on). Post 1994, the term Black is used to describe all “non-white” persons, including Africans, Indians and Coloureds. These have reference with regard to affirmative action legislation and policy.

  2. 2.

    Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).

  3. 3.

    Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study.

  4. 4.

    Southern and Eastern African Consortium for Measuring Educational Quality.

  5. 5.

    Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).

  6. 6.

    Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study.

  7. 7.

    Unemployment among school leavers is currently above 40% (StatsSA Labour Report, 2017).

  8. 8.

    Taylor N and Shindler, Education Sector Landscape Mapping South Africa, December 2016. Table 22 (www.jet.org.za).

  9. 9.

    The 1976 student movement was begun by schoolchildren from Soweto near Johannesburg.

  10. 10.

    MRTEQ, DBE, 2016.

  11. 11.

    CAPS, Department of Basic Education, 2012.

  12. 12.

    Schools do record the race of each child; this is required to measure progress towards racial equity.

  13. 13.

    CEO of the Human Sciences Research Council, a statutory body.

  14. 14.

    Furthering the Developmental Imperative? An assessment of the past 20 years of education legislation and policy in South Africa, National Education Collaboration Trust, 2017. Report available at www.nect.org.za

  15. 15.

    ibid.

  16. 16.

    www.us.ac.za

  17. 17.

    Gustafsson M, Legislation and progress in basic education in South Africa, Unpublished report; Research on Socio-Economic Policy (ReSEP), University of Stellenbosch, May 2017.

  18. 18.

    National Planning Commission, 2012.

  19. 19.

    All reports available at www.dbe.gov.za

  20. 20.

    http://www.codesria.org/spip.php?article2625

  21. 21.

    ibid.

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  1. National Department of Higher Education and Training, Pretoria, South Africa

    Shaheeda Essack

  2. National Education Collaboration Trust, Pretoria, South Africa

    Duncan B. Hindle

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  1. Department of Sociology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    Peter A. J. Stevens

  2. Department of Sociology, The University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA

    A. Gary Dworkin

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Essack, S., Hindle, D.B. (2019). Republic of South Africa: An Enduring Tale of Two Unequal Systems. In: Stevens, P.A.J., Dworkin, A.G. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Race and Ethnic Inequalities in Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94724-2_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94724-2_22

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-94723-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-94724-2

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

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