Current policy to extend early childhood education by placing grade R in public primary schools is politically, economically and educationally motivated. Quality education in grade R has definite long term economic advantages and could ensure equal educational opportunities. The educator is a key factor in this issue and her perception of her work life determines to a large extent the success of the initiative. The work fulfilment of the grade R educator is approached in this research from a labour law perspective and was conducted in the field of Education Law. The philosophic base of Education Law is found in the German educational term geborgenheit, which refers to the safety and security of all role players in education. The experience of security is regarded as a prerequisite for work fulfilment. The Constitution, education legislation, labour law, relevant case law and the common law were studied as legal determinants for work fulfilment. A qualitative enquiry into educators’ perceptions of their work life was conducted amongst participants in a specific area, which included schools from different socio–economic and cultural backgrounds. The essence of the findings is that, in spite of the existence of legislation which in principle should provide for physical and psychological security, educators still experience insecurity and therefore a lack of work fulfilment because of the ineffective implementation of law and policy. Widespread ignorance regarding the nature of quality education in grade R exists and the insistence on educator centralised teaching limits the work fulfilment of especially well–trained educators. Awareness of the advantages of a play based, whole–child approach has to be developed. This approach, as well as knowledge of legal determinants, promote work fulfilment, since both serve the best interests of the child as well as the educator. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Die doel van hierdie studie van beperkte omvang is om inligting in te samel oor die probleem van dissipline soos dit manifesteer in Intermediêre Skole in die Namakwa Distrik van die Noord-Kaap Provinsie. Die aandag word toegespits op: * wetgewing met betrekking tot dissipline in skole; * soorte van probleme; * faktore wat aanleiding gee tot probleme; * maatreëls wat gebruik word om dissiplinêre probleme te hanteer en te voorkom. Deur literatuurstudie word begrip en kennis verkry wat as agtergrond dien vir die kwalitatiewe ondersoek waardeur `n kontekstuele begrip verkry word van die ervaring van dissipline en probleme deur `n geselekteerde groep skoolhoofde van Intermediêre Skole in die Namakwa Distrik van die Noord-Kaapprovinsie. Ten slotte word voorstelle gemaak met die oog op die verbetering van `n komplekse situasie. / The aim of this study on a small scale is to gather information about the problem of discipline as manifested in Intermediate Schools in the Namaqua District of the Northern Cape Province. The attention is focused on: * legislation in connection with discipline in schools; * types of problems; * factors that cause problems; * measures to cope and prevent disciplinary problems. The study of literature provides understanding and knowledge that serves as background to the qualitative study by way of which a contextual understanding is developed of the experience of discipline and specific problems by a selected group of principals of Intermediate Schools in the Namaqua District of the Northern Cape Province. In conclusion proposals are made aimed at the improvement of a complex situation. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Educational Management)

Afrikaans text, with English and Xhosa summaries / Baie leerders in voorheen benadeelde skole kom uit enkelouerhuise, waar ouers lang ure werk en dikwels ongeletterd is. Dit lei daartoe dat die oorgrote meerderheid leerders in 'n ongestruktureerde omgewing en in huise grootword sonder duidelike dissiplinêre grense. Dissiplinêre grense behels die daarstelling van duidelike perke wat aan kinders wys wat hulle mag doen en wat hulle nie mag doen nie. Alle kinders het grense nodig om optimaal te groei en te leer. As kinders weet wat die gevolge daarvan is om buite die grense te beweeg, sal hulle probeer voldoen aan verwagtinge. Aan die anderkant sal 'n gebrek aan grense baie dissiplinêre probleme veroorsaak, aangesien leerders nie tuis selfdissipline aanleer nie. Daarbenewens word hulle dikwels grootgemaak in omgewings waar hulle blootgestel word aan dwelms, geweld, misdaad en bendes. Hulle verwerf nie die kennis van watter soort gedrag tuis of in hul gemeenskappe moreel en sosiaal aanvaarbaar is nie. Die gebrek aan dissipline en selfdissipline tuis lei tot dissiplinêre probleme in die klaskamer, veral by leerders in voorheen benadeelde skole. Die onderrig van goeie dissipline, wat tot selfdissipline lei, berus op opvoeders se skouers in die skoolkonteks. Dus word die rol van skole en opvoeders uiters belangrik, hoewel dit na 'n onoorkomelike probleem klink. As alle belanghebbendes 'n rol kan speel om leerders te help om optimaal te ontwikkel, sal dit ook help met dissiplinêre probleme. / Many learners in previously disadvantaged schools come from single parent homes, where parents work long hours and often are illiterate. This leads to the fact that the vast majority of learners grow up in an unstructured environment and in homes without clear disciplinary boundaries. Disciplinary boundaries involve establishing clear limits that show children what they are allowed to do and what they are not allowed to do. All children need boundaries to grow and learn optimally. When children know what the consequences are for stepping out of bounds, they will be more compliant. A lack of boundaries on the other hand causes many disciplinary problems, as learners do not learn self-discipline at home. In addition, they are often raised in environments where they are exposed to drugs, violence, crime and gangs. They do not acquire the knowledge of which types of behaviour are morally and socially acceptable at home or in their communities. The lack of discipline and self discipline at home leads to disciplinary problems in the classroom, especially with learners in previously disadvantaged schools. The teaching of good discipline, leading to self discipline rests on educators’ shoulders in the school context. Thus, the role of schools and educators become extremely important, although it sounds like an insurmountable problem. If all stakeholders could play a role to assist learners to develop optimally, it will also help with disciplinary problems. / Uninzi lwabafundi abaphuma kwizikolo ebezihlelelekile ngaphambili bavela kumakhaya anomzali omnye, apho abazali besebenza iiyure ezinde kwaye kunjalo bengafundanga. Ngoko uninzi lwabafundi lukhulela kwindawo engenasiseko someleleyo nakumakhaya angenamiqathanga icacileyo yokuziphatha. Imida yokoluleka kokuziphatha ibandakanya ukumiselwa kwemida ecacileyo ebonisa abantwana izinto abavunyelweyo ukuzenza nezinto abangavunyelwanga ukuba bazenze. Bonke abantwan bafuna ukubekelwa imiqathanga ukuze bakhule ngokugqibeleleyo. Xa abantwana bezazi iziphumo zokutyeshela imiqathanga ebekiweyo baya kuthobela nangakumbi. Ukongeza, basoloko bekhulela kwindawo apho bedibana neziyobisi, ubundlobongela, ulwaphulo-mthetho namamaqela emigulukudu. Ngoko ke, abalufumani ulwazi ngeentlobo zokuziphatha ezivumelekileyo ekhaya okanye ekuhlaleni. Ukungabikho kwenqeqesho nokuzihlonipha ekhaya kukhokelela kwiingxaki zokuziphatha egumbini lokufundela, ingakumbi abafundi abakwizikolo ebezihlelelekile. Ukufundisa indlela efanelekileyo yokuziphatha, ekhokelela ekuziphatheni kakuhle, ngumthwalo wootitshala esikolweni.Yiloo nto indima yezikolo nootitshala iba yeyona ibaluleke kakhulu, ngaphandle kwale ngxaki ikhangeleka ingenakuphela. Ukongeza, ukuba bonke ababandakanyekayo banokudlala indima ekuncedeni abafundi ukuba bakhule ngokugqibeleleyo, kunganceda ekusombululeni iingxaki zokuziphatha. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Opvoedkundige Sielkunde)

The researcher investigated the management of multi-grade teaching for optimal learning in Gauteng West primary schools. Ten participants, including school principals, heads of departments and educators participated in individual and focus group interviews and in observation of multi-grade classroom contexts. Findings revealed that educators involved in multi-grade teaching feel overwhelmed by challenging work conditions pertaining to large learner numbers and a lack of adequate didactical resources. This is exacerbated by a lack of professional development by means of tailor-made training for multi-grade teaching and the presumption that educators teaching such classes must merely change the monograde teaching format of the curriculum themselves for applicable implementation in a multi-grade teaching context. This leaves educators socially, emotionally and professionally isolated. Recommendations include the involvement of seasoned educators with expert knowledge and experience of multi-grade teaching to present training sessions constituting advice and support to inexperienced educators involved in said teaching. / Die navorser het die bestuur van meergraadonderrig by laerskole in Wes-Gauteng vir optimale leer ondersoek. Afgesien van individuele en fokusgroeponderhoude met skoolhoofde, departementshoofde en opvoeders, is waarneming in meergraadklaskamers gedoen. Volgens die bevindings bemoeilik groot klasse en ʼn gebrek aan didaktiese hulpmiddels meergraadopvoeders se taak. Meergraadopvoeders voel hulle geensins opgewasse teen hierdie werksomstandighede nie. ʼn Gebrek aan opleiding in meergraadonderrig en die veronderstelling dat opvoeders die eengraadformaat van die kurrikulum in ʼn meergraadformaat kan omskakel, vererger sake. Opvoeders is van mening dat hulle maatskaplik, emosioneel en professioneel in die steek gelaat word. Daar word aanbeveel dat gesoute opvoeders met kennis van en ervaring in meergraadonderrig onervare opvoeders oplei en adviseer. / Monyakisisi o dirile dinyakisiso ka ga go ruta dikereiti tse fapanego go fihlelela bokgoni le tsebo tikologong ya go thekga dinyakwa tsa baithuti dikolong tsa phoraemari go la Gauteng Bodikela. Batseakarolo ba lesome, go akaretswa dihlogo tsa dikolo, dihlogo tsa dikgoro le barutisi ba tseere karolo ditherisanong ka botee le dihlopha tseo di nepisitswego gape le temogo dikemong tsa diphaposi tsa dikereiti tse di fapanego. Dikhwetso di utollotse gore barutisi bao ba rutago dikereiti tse fapanego ba imelwa ke maemo a modiro wo o nyakago gore ba ntshe bokgoni bja bona ka moka ka lebaka la dipalo tse ntsi tsa baithuti le tlhokego ya dithusi tsa thuto tse di lekanego. Se se thatafiswa ke tlhokego ya tlhabollo ya profesene ye ka go fa tlhahlo yeo e lebanego ya go ruta dikreiti tse fapanego le kgopolo ya go re barutisi bao ba rutago ba swanela go no fetola popego ya lenaneothuto la kereiti e tee ka bobona go re ba le dirise kemong ya go ruta dikereiti tse fapanego. Se se dira gore barutisi ba ikhwetse ba se na kgokagano le setshaba leagong, ba hloka bao ba ka llelago go bona le go se be le bao ba nago le kgahlego go profesene ya bona. Ditshisinyo di akaretsa go ba gona ga barutisi bao e lego kgale ba ruta ba nago le maitemogelo le botsebi go ruta dikereiti tse fapanego go hlagisa dipaka tsa tlhahlo tseo di fago maele le thuso go barutisi bao ba se nago maitemogelo. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Education Management)