Historically in South Africa, the education and social systems have worked together to deny black people both competencies and opportunities for significant participation.There are over nine million people in South Africa who cannot read or write. (Hutton, 1992) South Africa is not the only country with this problem, newly liberated countries have also had to respond to the problem of illiteracy. In South Africa many progressive organizations have initiated literacy work and have recognized the need for adult basic education. Workplace literacy has become an important national issue. It is of concern to employees, employers, unions, vocational and adult educators. But what does it mean to workers on the shopfloor and how can they benefit from such programmes. In our increasingly technological society, different workplace demands are being placed on workers. Companies try to assist their workers by offering training and retraining programmes. It sounds good, a problem has been recognized and steps are being taken to fix it, but there is something missing. Little mention is being made of the needs and rights of workers themselves. The objective of this study is to identify the literacy skills of workers and the necessity for determining job literacy requirements for employment positions. Research has shown that the level of literacy in the workplace is not determined by a grade equivalent but by the literacy needs of the workplace. In trying to identify the above objective it is important to look at what is meant by workplace literacy as well as significance of workplace literacy and its importance within a social and economic context. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1992.

There are many family literacy programmes in countries such as England, United States of America and Australia. The programmes usually include both parents and children and are presented in different forms. In South Africa there are very few family literacy programmes of any sort. This is a case study of a family literacy programme in a deeply rural area of KwaZulu-Natal. The study presents information gathered from interviews with parents and teachers on their perception of early childhood literacy and their role in its development in their children. The study contains information on the interventions of the Family Literacy Project in an attempt to assess the impact these have had on the behaviour and attitudes of the parents and teachers. Tentative conclusions are drawn and suggestions offered for future research and action. The study includes a review of related literature. This, together with the findings of the study should contribute to the discussion of how relevant family literacy programmes could be in South Africa. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

Thesis (MEd (Education Policy Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / This thesis explores pluralist perspectives on literacy in the context of the Literacy and Numeracy (LITNUM) Strategy of the Western Cape Education Department. My argument is that we need to move beyond functional or technical conceptions of literacy towards a recognition of its transformative potential. That is, the concept of literacy needs to be stretched to incorporate pluralist perspectives in order to achieve developmental aspirations. Following a literature review approach, I construct three constitutive meanings of literacy, namely “cognitive skills”, “social context” and “development”, and I investigate how the LITNUM Strategy conforms to these constitutive meanings of literacy. My finding is that LITNUM is based on a constructivist learning theory. I caution that when understandings of learning theories are viewed exclusively from one perspective, literacy becomes “compacted”, and we miss out on important considerations of literacy and its transformative potential. I show that LITNUM discusses several social contextual factors related to literacy; a recognition of the impact of social issues on literacy. Regarding LITNUM’s concern with development, I conclude that both functional and critical literacy as important aspects of development are not sufficiently addressed. In a nutshell: LITNUM focuses on technical skills, which need to be balanced with the notion that literacy is a social act, and that it has the potential to transform societies. I propose a “literacy of thoughtfulness”, based on compassion, love and care. This proposition forms the basis for possible future research.

Learning through a language other than one's own mother-tongue presents similar problems world-wide. In South Africa, the shift from mother-tongue tuition to learning through the medium of English at Grade 5 (approximately 10 years of age) has a highly problematic and contested history. This study addresses the problem with specific reference to the SMILE project, the theories of Marcel Jousse and Outcomes Based Education. In Chapter One, the study examines the context of learning and gives an indication of the extent of the problem. It introduces the SMILE and the theoretical and practical components of the study. Chapter 2 outlines the process used to collect data by means of: • A literature review • Interviews • Observations • Participant Workshops • Reports on Field Trips • An informal Survey Chapter 3 records the data gleaned from the process outlined in Chapter 2. Chapter 4 relates the data recorded in Chapter Three to the Theories of Marcel Jousse. In this way, the practice in the SMILE project is shown to relate the Theories of Learning, Expression, Memory and Reading of Marcel Jousse. Chapter 5 relates the data recorded in Chapter 3 to OBE Critical Outcomes and Underlying Principles which are required of all learning and teaching programmes accredited and assured by SAQA. I will conclude my study by highlighting and suggesting the following: • How SMILE has succeeded in their quest for enhancing English learning among non-mother tongue speakers. • How an evaluation of SMILE could assist in any learning situation and in furthering the needs of OBE. • How starting with the spoken word enhances learning • Compilation of stories from children for their reading books and how this impacts on their learning. • How theories of Marcel Jousse could be incorporated in learning situations • How use of dance, movement could be used as a primary means of learning. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, 1998.