M.A. / The street child phenomenon is a world-wide phenomenon. However ; it is perceived to be most prominent in third world countries as compared to first world countries. The main issue is that children are forced to leave the comfort or discomfort of their homes to live on the street. This results from a number of factors. According to Schurink and Tiba in Schurink (1993:10), an extensive literature study revealed the following key factors: rapid urbanization, high rates of unemployment, poverty, inadequate housing, maladjustment to family disintegration. According to Maphatane (1993:1), today's children and youngsters face many problems and pressures arising from the changing structure of the family and the community and the breaking down of traditional systems of support and preparations for adult life. The emergence of the street child phenomenon results from poor soci-economic and political conditions. For instance according to Agnelli , as cited by Schurink (1993:13), the roots of the present clay street child phenomenon seem to lie in the historical context of economic conditions and in national and international policies accepted by various countries.

South African black children have been exposed to extremely high levels of violence, especially in the townships. This study was initiated in ,order to explore the effects of violence on the self-concept of the black child in South Africa. In addition the applicability of current self-concept theories and psychometric measures to this population was investigated. This study is therefore mainly exploratory. Sixty individuals of both sexes between the ages of 8 and 10 years were sampled from two schools. Thirty from one in a high violence and the other thirty from one in a low violence area. However, after finding that the experimental and control groups did not differ signifficantly these groups were reassigned according to exposure to violence rather than geographically. Direct and indirect exposure to violence as well as family and other stressors were measured with the aid of the Life Events Questionnaire (Mason and Killian, 1993). In order to determine the effect of exposure to violence on selfconcept these two groups were compared using one quantitative and two qualitative selfconcept measures. The quantitative measure was the Piers-Harris Children's SelfConcept Scale and the qualitative measures were the Human Figure Drawing Test and an Incomplete Sentences Test. Results were analysed by multivariate statistical procedures. This study concluded that violence has no significant effect.on self-concept in black children (p,>O.05). The Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale was found to be a reliable measure of self-concept in black children. Recommendations include broadening self-concept theories for black children by incorporating theories from disciplines other than psychology. The power of the present study would have been increased by using larger samples. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.

M.A. (Social Science) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. / This study focuses on problems of adjustment which black pupils in Soweto (may) experience in the transition from primary to secondary school as far as mathematics is concerned. This problem is not investigated in vacuo, but is located within a definite context. This context consists of children of a distinct population group, who have reached a distinct level of development; who come from a distinct home background and who are taught a distinct subject by a distinct teacher in the service of a distinct education authority with a distinct teaching policy. As background to the problem a contextual and research literature survey is directed towards an empirical investigation. After the literature survey an empirical study focusing on standard 6 pupils was made. In this empirical investigation, various research methods were used in order to illuminate the purpose and hypothesis of this investigation. * Emphases is placed on determining the standard of mathematics amongst black pupils in the standard 6 experimental group by using a three-pronged approach: 1) The standard 6 pubils completed the HSRC diagnostic mathematics test for standard 5 and 6 in order to determine their competence in the basic functions of addition, subtraction, mUltiplication and division. 2) In order to determine the mathematical proficiency of standard 6 pupils the TOAM computer system was used. 3) To determine any possible deterioration in mathematical competency in standard 6 pupils in their transition from primary to secondary school, the same mathematics examination written at the end of standard 5, was written after three months in standard 6. * In order to attempt to determine the factors influencing the problems experienced by black pupils compelled to move from standard 5 to standard 6, a questionnaire probing socio-economic and general school situation was completed by all standard 6 pupils in the eight secondary schools used from this investigation. Questionnaires completed by teachers responsible for standard 6 mathematics teaching in the secondary schools were used to determine opinions concerning both the-standard of mathematics amongst standard 6 pupils and the problem of adjustment to the secondary School.