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Post-Apartheid Challenges in South African Education

Despite the dismantling of the apartheid in South African in the 1990s, the effects are still evident in post-apartheid life. The history of mass schooling in South Africa is racially defined. While university schooling was introduced in the early 1900s to white South Africans, this type of schooling excluded black Africans (Chisholm, 2012). During this time, most black African children were education in missions schools that were inadequate due to lack of funding and large attendee populations, especially in the townships (Chisholm, 2012). When the National Party took over control of the mission school education in 1948 to maintain power over black Africans, Africans headed into years of under-financed and poor-quality education, until 1994, when the government promised education for all South Africans (Chisholm, 2012). For almost 40 years, the educational system in South Africa was controlled by white supremacists in efforts to maintain social and economic control over the black African population (Chisholm, 2012). As a result of these educational inequalities, there are still vast differences between black and white education in South Africa, including school resources, infrastructure, teacher quality, and employment (Chisholm, 2012). Even in 2017, five years after this study was conducted, this is still a major challenge in South Africa. The schools that are “free” for students and available in the Townships, are under resourced, under funded, over populated, and lacking quality teachers. Township schools that had close due to lack of funding. Again, the idea of being able to experience education first hand through a multi-sensory experience holds so much more value than just limited to reading and watching.

According to Chisholm (2012), the new policies in the post-apartheid education system intended to address racially segregated and unequal funding, poor quality of education for black Africans, high unemployment for younger people, and low participation in high education and technical jobs. After Mandela was first elected, education was reorganized and desegregated, and there was more emphasis placed on norms and standards in all education institutions in South Africa (Chisholm, 2012). School funding was to be equalized and budgets were not longer distributed based on race. Although the South African Schools Act (1996) made schooling obligatory, it did not make education free, and as a result, many parents were not able to afford mounting educational fees (Chisholm, 2012). By 2003, the school fee policy was overturned and students from poor economic background could attend school for free. In addition to challenges with funding, students in dominantly black schools were also being education through teachers that were unequally trained compared to the peers in dominantly white areas (Chisholm, 2012). In efforts to change this, teachers that were redistributed often left the profession all together, leading to efforts to increase salaries of teacher nation wide. Efforts to change curriculum also took place in the mid 1990s (Chisholm, 2012).

Chisholm’s findings concluded that despite efforts made by the ANC and Nelson Mandela in the 1990s, the legacies of apartheid are still present as seen by the success of students that is informed by race, age, gender, and socio-economic status (Chisholm, 2012). In addition, white Africans are still under-represented and black Africans over presented in unemployment numbers (Chisholm, 2012). There is still a significant lack of teachers, especially those appropriately trained in math and science. However, it is noted that African graduations increase by 13.5% from 1996 to 2005 (Chisholm, 2012). There have also been changes in high education including radical demographic shifts. Yet, there are still significant challenges in recruiting black scholars to universities that are still lacking in economic wealth, a result of the apartheid (Chisholm, 2012). Despite improvements to primary schools that include more equitable spending, decreased fees, increased awareness of nutrition, expanding qualified teachers, the “learning outcomes are still abysmal by any measure,” (Chisholm, 2012). Despite efforts and intentions, the deep historical inequitable educational policies of the apartheid can still be seen in the current South African educational system through racially unequal learning outcomes, poor quality of education, and high youth employment (Chisholm, 2012).

Effects of Wealth

Spaull (2013) researched the still present correlated between education and wealth. In South Africa, less wealthy students generally perform worse academically when compared to their more wealthy peers, (Spaull, 2013). The schools that serve predominately white African students are much more functional, despite the fact that racial segregation in schools was abolished more than 20 years ago, compared to school that serve primarily Black African students (Spaull, 2013). In South Africa, schools that work with predominately Black students are considered “dysfunctional and unable to impact the necessary numeracy and literacy skills students should be acquiring by this level,” (Spaull, 2013, p. 1). Evidence from this study included that the South African schools systems are still mainly serving two different populations in two educational systems, in which language and socioeconomic status affects the quality of education provided to the students (Spaull, 2013). This study concluded that considering the averages of South African education is misleading because it overestimates the educational achievement of most students (especially those serving predominately Black students) (Spaull, 2013). In addition, the study concluded that it is misleading to model a single-schooling system in South Africa when in fact, there are still two systems based on socioeconomic status (Spaull, 2013).

Barros and Gupta (2017) discovered that South Africa has the greatest unequal income distribution in the world. Their study analyzed the relationship between growth, poverty and inequality in South Africa from 1996 until 2013, (Barros and Gupta, 2017). Results demonstrated that while poverty is increasing, it is increasing at a decreasing rate and that poverty and inequity are correlated with one another, (Barros and Gupta, 2017). This information supports that South Africa is on the road to decreasing poverty, but clearly, there are still major issues with funding for their schools. As a result of this study’s finding, it is clear that there are significant gaps between policy and practice around providing adequate support services for students with disabilities in South Africa (Barros and Gupta, 2017, p. 151).

Spreen & Vally (2006)’s research focused on the progress that schools make and the quality of education they provide are directly correlated to the consequences of poverty. According to the article, education reform in South Africa has resulted in tension between economic requirements and historical challenges (Spreen & Vally, 2006). The article focused on the adverse affects of charging fees for education on the goal of creating equity in education and educational opportunities for students, but instead unintentionally creating more inequity and violating basic student rights to attend school (Spreen & Vally, 2006), which has been addressed and adjusted by the government (Chisholm, 2012). Understanding that what the challenges are for students in South Africa should influence the way educators approach putting appropriate supports in place for students in schools. It is also important to be aware that despite positive intent, there is still vast inequity in the educational systems in South Africa.

Effects of Access

Matshedisho (2007) noted the challenges of providing equal access to high education for students with disabilities in South Africa, such as funding, lack of data, and the slow pace of transformation. The article notes that may people in South Africa skills hold attitudes and stereotypical beliefs that affect opportunities for students with disabilities, (Matshedisho, 2007). The article also highlights that these challenges have lead to limited access to high education, affecting the rights of students with disabilities, (Matshedisho, 2007). It is evident that students with disabilities in South Africa are still experiencing infringement on their rights, which is vital to understand as a teacher who is helping students from South Africa and other developing countries access and self-advocate for the supports they need.

Later, Matshedisho (2010) focused research on the challenges and experiences of students with disabilities in South Africa and argued that their education should not be provided in isolation from other, typical students. The majority of students with disabilities reported feeling uncomfortable, challenges with professions not providing accommodations or modifications, and not being able to access buildings and information, (Matshedisho, 2010). Without access to accommodations and information, students with disabilities are receiving inadequate and unequal education, (Matshedisho, 2010). While visiting the Center of Science and Technology (COSAT) in Cape Town, one of the most common remarks form the students was that they felt supported by their teachers. The students describe their teachers as being approachable and having high expectations for them. However, this is a charter school with an application process, not a public primary school. Understanding and knowing that these are the challenges that many students with disabilities face in the public school system in countries like South Africa, educators can better navigate their needs and provide them with the appropriate tools they need to be successful in Lexington.

The study conducted by Ndlovu & Walton (2016) looked at the exclusion of people with disabilities from professional opportunities in South Africa following legislation on non-discrimination and equity. Results of the study indicate that students first experience difficulties access curriculum in high education due to lack of supports, policies, and funding (Ndlovu & Walton, 2016). These same students then experience challenges in the professional world regarding transportations and building access (Ndlovu & Walton, 2016). In addition, the study discovered that students are affected by negative attitudes and assumptions about disabilities. Understanding what challenges students with disabilities face in different parts of the world, especially in developing countries like South Africa, is important to understanding what kinds of support and access students need to be successful in other educational institutions.