Against the background of the lack of consensus on the definition of the concept minority and the continuing debates on minorities and their rights in education, a need exists for adequate provision of education suitable to different minorities. This study investigates the provision of education to minorities. A literature survey investigated how various countries make provision for minorities in their education systems, starting from the Constitutions and various education laws to educational practice. These countries include Belgium, Getmany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom (UK) and Italy. Regarding South Africa, an analysis of documents dealing with the provision of education to minorities was undertaken. Unstructured interviews, from a small sample of informants selected by purposeful sampling, elicited additional data to the document analysis. Data was analysed, discussed and synthesised. The major findings are: there is no international consensus on the definition of the concept minority; the concept minority does not even appear in the Constitutions of some of the countries under investigation; the South African Constitution uses the concept communities rather than minorities. However, no definition of the concept community is provided and despite reservations expressed by a key informant on group rights, generally the South African Constitution contains enough sections regarding the provision of education to minorities. Subject to certain limitations, minority groups may open their own schools and use their own language. Based on these findings, recommendations for educational provision for minorities are made. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Comparative Education)

Against the background of the lack of consensus on the definition of the concept minority and the continuing debates on minorities and their rights in education, a need exists for adequate provision of education suitable to different minorities. This study investigates the provision of education to minorities. A literature survey investigated how various countries make provision for minorities in their education systems, starting from the Constitutions and various education laws to educational practice. These countries include Belgium, Getmany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom (UK) and Italy. Regarding South Africa, an analysis of documents dealing with the provision of education to minorities was undertaken. Unstructured interviews, from a small sample of informants selected by purposeful sampling, elicited additional data to the document analysis. Data was analysed, discussed and synthesised. The major findings are: there is no international consensus on the definition of the concept minority; the concept minority does not even appear in the Constitutions of some of the countries under investigation; the South African Constitution uses the concept communities rather than minorities. However, no definition of the concept community is provided and despite reservations expressed by a key informant on group rights, generally the South African Constitution contains enough sections regarding the provision of education to minorities. Subject to certain limitations, minority groups may open their own schools and use their own language. Based on these findings, recommendations for educational provision for minorities are made. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Comparative Education)

The influx of Black pupils seeking admission to Indian schools began in 1990 after the Democratic Movement's "all schools for all people" campaign was announced. The medium of instruction in Indian schools is English which is also the mother tongue. Therefore Black pupils who come on transfer from schools in the KwaZulu township are immediately faced with a language problem as they are taught in the mother tongue untii standard three, when they switch to English. This research project arose as a result of the researcher's experience with Black pupils, whom he - felt were severely linguistically underprepared for academic study in the senior primary phase. Furthermore, most present day teachers were trained for monocultural schools and have little or no experience of multicultural education. The main problem that this research focuses on includes the learning problems encountered by Black pupils in Indian primary schools and the concomitant teaching problems their teachers experience. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Didactics)

A thesis submitted to the Wits School of Education, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy / The perturbing phenomenon of wastage (revealed through incidences of unsatisfactory levels of student retention, poor pass and completion rates and an increase in repetition rates) is a course of concern for universities as it has a bearing on financial expenditure as well as institutional reputation. For the purpose of this study being at-risk is synonymous with being vulnerable.Student vulnerability is not a homogeneous phenomenon and therefore different student support structures, strategies and policies need to be devised for different issues and problems experienced by vulnerable students. This study argues that as long as effective and adequate institutional support is lacking, student vulnerability will continue to be a 'wastage' catalyst. [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version - Abstract would not load onto DSpace]

The influx of Black pupils seeking admission to Indian schools began in 1990 after the Democratic Movement's "all schools for all people" campaign was announced. The medium of instruction in Indian schools is English which is also the mother tongue. Therefore Black pupils who come on transfer from schools in the KwaZulu township are immediately faced with a language problem as they are taught in the mother tongue untii standard three, when they switch to English. This research project arose as a result of the researcher's experience with Black pupils, whom he - felt were severely linguistically underprepared for academic study in the senior primary phase. Furthermore, most present day teachers were trained for monocultural schools and have little or no experience of multicultural education. The main problem that this research focuses on includes the learning problems encountered by Black pupils in Indian primary schools and the concomitant teaching problems their teachers experience. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Didactics)

This study reports on the practice of inclusive education in three rural disadvantaged communities within the Eastern Cape. The research focused on the development of inclusive educational practices such as teaching, assessment and support in inclusive education. Recognizing the changing needs in the teaching profession and consequently the changing needs of both in service and pre-service educators, this project was conceived as providing an insight into the response of educators to the challenges of inclusive education and the meanings that these experiences have for educators who have had practical exposure to inclusive education. The need to acknowledge barriers which have implications for planning, expectations and effectiveness of implementing inclusive education in this specific context is acknowledged. In South Africa direct support service delivery is only to a few advantaged schools and communities. Learners who are economically and environmentally disadvantaged are excluded even though they have an equal right to effective support. / Educational Studies / M. A.(Educational Management)

This study reports on the practice of inclusive education in three rural disadvantaged communities within the Eastern Cape. The research focused on the development of inclusive educational practices such as teaching, assessment and support in inclusive education. Recognizing the changing needs in the teaching profession and consequently the changing needs of both in service and pre-service educators, this project was conceived as providing an insight into the response of educators to the challenges of inclusive education and the meanings that these experiences have for educators who have had practical exposure to inclusive education. The need to acknowledge barriers which have implications for planning, expectations and effectiveness of implementing inclusive education in this specific context is acknowledged. In South Africa direct support service delivery is only to a few advantaged schools and communities. Learners who are economically and environmentally disadvantaged are excluded even though they have an equal right to effective support. / Educational Studies / M. A.(Educational Management)

Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa / This research aimed at investigating the challenges white teachers face in the socialisation of diverse learners in a former Model C school in the northern suburbs of Cape Town. The research involved a literature review conceptualising democracy, human rights, diversity, equality and socialisation, in addition to the concepts of white fragility and the theoretical perspective of Bourdieu’s ‘habitus’. The empirical investigation consisted of interviews to gather data. The findings revealed the perspectives of the teachers and their understanding of the socialisation of diverse learners in a democracy. Based on these findings, recommendations were made for the school and the Department of Basic Education to develop a system to incorporate in schools, in order to enhance socialisation and the transformation of former Model C schools. As the title states, this study was focused on the challenges white teachers experience relating to the transition to democracy. The context of a former Model C school is a complex scenario, where the values and norms of a dominant culture have formed, and continue to form, a critical part of the school climate and culture. The research findings revealed that since the transformation process started in 1994, ‘ex-Model C’ schools have assumed different characteristics and encountered challenges depending on their demographical location. Teachers need to address both social and educational aims, especially as the findings suggest that the schools, and particularly the teachers, are unclear about how diversity contributes to norms and values. This reflects in the tendency to remain focused on a dominant white culture, with which the teachers identify as ‘normal’. / Hierdie navorsing het ten doel gehad om die uitdagings wat wit onderwysers ten opsigte van die sosialisering van diverse leerders in ʼn gewese model C-skool in die noordelike voorstede van Kaapstad trotseer, te ondersoek. Die navorsing het ʼn literatuuroorsig behels waarvolgens demokrasie, menseregte, diversiteit, gelykheid en sosialisering gekonseptualiseer word, benewens die konsepte van wit broosheid en die teoretiese perspektief van Bourdieu se “habitus”. Die empiriese ondersoek het bestaan uit onderhoude om data in te samel. Die bevindinge het onderwysers se perspektiewe en hul begrip van die sosialisering van diverse leerders in ʼn demokrasie onthul. Op grond van hierdie bevindinge is aanbevelings gedoen vir die skool en die Departement van Basiese Onderwys rakende die ontwikkeling van ʼn stelsel om in skole te inkorporeer ten einde sosialisering en die transformasie van gewese model C-skole te bevorder. Soos wat die titel aandui, het hierdie studie gefokus op die uitdagings wat wit onderwysers ervaar ten opsigte van die oorgang na demokrasie. Die konteks van ʼn gewese model C-skool is ʼn komplekse scenario, waar die waardes en norme van ʼn dominante kultuur ʼn noodsaaklike deel van die skoolklimaat en -kultuur gevorm het (en dit is steeds die geval). Die navorsingsbevindinge het getoon dat sedert die transformasieproses in 1994 begin het, “eks-model C”-skole verskillende eienskappe aangeneem het en uitdagings teëgekom het afhangende van hul demografiese ligging. Onderwysers moet sowel sosiale as opvoedingsdoelwitte bereik, veral aangesien die navorsingsresultate daarop dui dat daar onduidelikheid onder die skole, en veral die onderwysers, is oor hoe diversiteit bydra tot norme en waardes. Dit blyk uit die neiging om gefokus te bly op ʼn dominante wit kultuur waarmee die onderwysers identifiseer as “normaal”. / Olu phando lujolise ekuphandeni imingeni ejongene nootitshala abamhlophe ekuhlanganiseni ngokwezentlalo abafundi beentlanga ezahlukeneyo kwisikolo esasifudula siyiModel C kumahlomela edolophu asemantla esixeko saseKapa. Uphando lwenza uphononongo loluncwadi oluchaza ngedemokhrasi, amalungelo oluntu, ukungafani, ulingano noqheliso lwezentlalo, kwakunye nobuthathaka babamhlophe neenkalo zokucinga ngokwethiyori ka Bourdieu ekuthiwa yi’habitus’. Uphando olusekelwe kubungqina baquka iindliwano ndlebe ekuqikeleleni idatha. Okufunyanisiweyo kwadiza iimbono zootitshala nendlela abaluqonda ngayo uqheliso lwezentlalo lwabafundi abangafaniyo kwimeko yedemokhrasi. Okufunyanisiweyo kwakhokelela ekwenziweni kweengcebiso kwisikolo nakweSebe Lemfundo Esisiseko ukuba kuphuhliswe inkqubo yokubandakanya ezikolweni, ngenjongo yokukhulisa uqheliso lwezentlalo nenguqu yezikolo ezazifudula ziziModel C. Njengoko nesihloko sisitsho, esi sifundo sagxininisa kwimingeni ejongene nootitshala kwixesha lenguqu eya kwidemokhrasi. Imeko yesikolo esasifudula siyiModel C yimeko enzima, apho iinqobo zokucinga nezithethe zenkcubeko eyongameleyo zibumbe, kwaye zisaqhuba ukubumba inxalenye emandundu yesimo sentlalo nenkcubeko yesikolo. Okufunyaniswe kuphando kwadiza ukuba okoko kwaqala inkqubo yenguqu ngowe-1994, izikolo ezazifudula ziziiModel C zaba neempawu ezahlukileyo kwaye zajongana nemingeni ngokuxhomekeke kwiindawo ezimi kuzo. Ootitshala badinga ukuhlangabeza iinjongo zentlalo nemfundo, ngakumbi, ngokokutsho kophando, izikolo, ngakumbi ootitshala, bengacacelwanga kukuba ukungafani kuncedisa njani kwiinqobo zokucinga nezithethe. Oku kubonakala kumkhwa wokungagungqi kwinkcubeko yabamhlophe neyongameleyo, le ootitshala bayithatha ngokuba ‘yeyesiqhelo’. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Socio-Education)