In the post apartheid state, education is viewed as an important tool for rapid socio-economic development. The economic, ecological, technological and political conditions that characterized the South African crisis were assumed to be a result of inadequate education partly due to Bantu education. Accordingly the new democratic government with the view of revamping the education system in compliance with the provisions as stipulated in the Constitution and other subordinate laws endeavoured to decentralize power and authority to School Governing Bodies (governance) and administrative management of schools to principals. It must be appreciated therefore that some among those who were appointed to positions of school principals lacked the craft-literacy and craft-competency skills to devise effective and efficient administrative management processes needed to produce functional schools in a constitutional democracy. The research therefore seeks to determine the levels of craft-competency and craft-literacy of public school principals in administering case law in schools as required by the Constitution of South Africa, 1996, the Employment of Educators Act, 76 of 1998 and The Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA), 3 of 2000 to mention but a few legislative instruments. In principals’ exercise of power and authority during the process of administering their schools, the administrative actions must be lawful, reasonable and procedurally fair in line with the relevant empowering provisions in their disposal. The qualitative case study used was meant to interpretively test the impact of the admissions policy as amended by The Education Laws Amendment Act, 50 of 2002 in public schools. It appears that only craft-competent and craft-literate principals are better positioned to adopt correct administrative actions that ensure that the rights of learners are not infringed upon and that their interests are taken care of at all times. It also seems that , generally speaking, principals lack craft-competency and craft-literacy skills and that they receive inadequate support. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

Sloyd is related to craft knowing, making traditions and materiality. The meaning of knowing in sloyd is vaguely articulated and thereby can be interpreted by teachers in different ways. This study aims at contributing to an articulation of craft knowing within sloyd education. The study was carried out in the form of two learning studies, each one focusing on a specific object of learning. The knowing of sawing straight was studied through phenomenographic analysis of video recordings of students’ work with handsaws in wood. Different ways of knowing this capability have been described. The second study focused on the knowing of interpreting symbols in sloyd objects. Different ways of perceiving this capability have been described through the learning study’s three iterative lesson interventions. The two objects of learning are discussed as pointing out different aspects of craft knowing in sloyd education. Craft knowing has been recognized as embodied thinking and interaction with tools and materials in order to achieve certain intentions (Dormer, 1994; Illum, 2004). It is often described as embedded in our actions (Polanyi, 1966) and manifested in specific actions: as knowing-in-action (Schön, 1983). Furthermore, it is multimodal and derives from practical knowledge traditions where dexterity, visuality and materiality are central modes of communication (Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006). When engaging in sloyd activities one engages in different communal shared craft techniques and strives to obtain and express intended shapes, functions, lines, patterns and affiliations. To be able to say and make something in a ‘right way’ can be understood as a specific literacy (Gee, 2015). Some aspects of craft knowing are presented and discussed in terms of craft literacy: as embodied interactions with materials and tools in specific ways. These descriptions can contribute to our shared understanding of the meaning of craft knowing as well as the meaning of sloyd knowing.