The History and Devolution of Education in South Africa

Since the changeover from South Africa's apartheid system and government (which had been heavily influenced by South Africa's elite Afrikaner leaders and the secret Afrikaner society the Broderbond) in 1994, much has been expected of the post-apartheid government in terms of greater equalization of opportunities in all aspects of life. This includes education. Although South Africa's education system is definitely structured differently than it was prior to the end of apartheid, unfortunately, access to high-quality education for all citizens regardless of race has yet to be fully realized. Wealthy and middle-class Blacks have been able to access the best education available to any White child, but for poor and working-class Black families which make up the majority of South African citizens by the tens of millions, this is not the case. In part, this is because the roots of separate and unequal education are so deeply embedded in South African society. However, the key factor on which these inequalities rests now tends to be socioeco-nomic class rather than race. Given that the poorest and least educated of all South Africans during the apartheid regime were Black, class distinctions tend to be tantamount to the same racial distinctions that existed during apartheid. However, a very small proportion of South African families in professional and managerial jobs, as well as in political leadership, now have access to the same educational opportunities as middle- and upper-class White families by attending South Africa's best educational academies.

Later in this chapter, we will explain why the system—and educational opportunity for all citizens—has changed so little since democracy was extended to all of South Africa's citizens. First, however, we need to understand the history of education in South Africa especially as it was designed, structured, and administered during the apartheid era.