Children’s rights to participate in decision-making in matters which impact them directly, is a topic leading to increased research since the 1990s. Today, most countries, including South Africa, have included the right of children to participate and to be heard, in their legislation. In reality, however, there is still a big gap in the implementation of children’s right to participation. Home schooling as an alternative to mainstream schooling has also gained momentum in South Africa with an estimated 50 000 – 75 000 children being home schooled. When children are home schooled, the families spend more time together than children who spend 6-8 hours per day attending a local school. Decisions with regard to curriculum, subjects and social interaction which would normally be the responsibility of the school, now become the responsibility of the parents. Children in the adolescent life phase have an increasing need to gain independence from their parents. In the home school context, the fact that the parents are also the teachers, could lead to increased frustration and conflict between adolescents and parents. In this context it would therefore be important that the adolescents should be allowed to participate in decisions pertaining to their schooling. This study focused on exploring adolescents’ participation in decision-making in the home schooling context. This research is important as little is known about the perceptions of adolescents and their parents about participation in the home schooling context. The research took place in the Western Cape. Eight families, which consisted of 21 participants, were involved in the study. Data saturation determined the sample size. The participants were selected from specific home schooling forums and had to reside in the Western Cape. Semi-structured interviews were held with all the participants and an interview guide was used for consistency. Different themes were identified by using thematic analysis. The study found that families have different views about the adolescents’ role in participation. It varied from adolescents who were allowed to initiate change to adolescents not allowed to participate in decisions at all. In the families where the adolescents were allowed limited or no participation in decision-making, the adolescents indicated that they understood that their parents had their best interest at heart, although they felt that they (the adolescents) would welcome a bigger say. It is recommended that home schooling families be made aware of the need of their adolescent children to be allowed to participate more in decision-making in the home schooling context on all levels, ranging from educational matters to social interaction. / MSW, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The dissertation involves an investigation into home schooling in South Africa as an alternative to institutionalised schooling. This is done by means of qualitative research techniques, whereby an ethnographic study of a single home-schooling family takes place. This study occurs against the background established by a comprehensive literature review of the context, nature, scope and current issues of the home-schooling movement, in selected international countries as well as in South Africa. The study investigates the modus operandi of a home school in an attempt to explore actual practice and to uncover primary data. Limited recommendations for home schooling on the basis of the literature study and the specific qualitative inquiry are made. / Educational Studies / M. Ed.(Comparative Education)

Few studies have quantified the effects on academic performance; none has investigated, as this study does, the effects of immigration, home language, and school mobility on academic development over time. What makes this study unique is its melding of sociological and psychometric perspectives – an approach that is still quite new. Logistic regression was used to analyze data from Ontario’s 2007-2008 Junior (Grade 6) Assessment of Reading, Writing and Mathematics, with linked assessment results from three years earlier, to investigate students’ academic achievement. The focus of this study is on whether the students maintained proficiency between Grades 3 and 6 or achieved proficiency in Grade 6 if they were not proficient in Grade 3. The results indicate that Grade 3 proficiency is the strongest predictor of Grade 6 proficiency and that home language or interactions with home language are also significant in most cases. In addition, students who speak a language other than or in addition to English at home are, in general, a little more likely to be proficient at Grade 6. Most students who were born outside of Canada were significantly more likely than students born in Canada to stay or become proficient in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics by Grade 6. These results highlight the importance of considering the enormous heterogeneity of immigrants’ experiences when studying the effects of immigration on academic performance.

This qualitative study seeks to assess the effectiveness of homeschool collegiate preparation through the eyes of homeschool alumni. Four alumni who are current college students participated in the study. A triangulation of methods, which included surveys, open-ended questionnaires, and interviews, ensured reliability and validity. Although the students represented a wide range of varied homeschool experiences, the perceptions of all the students were that their environments prepared them for collegiate-level work at levels that are above average.

The primary objective of this study was to describe and analyze visions of 21st century education articulated by prominent individuals involved with current school reform and restructuring efforts. A second objective was to describe and analyze those images of the most likely educational scenario in the 21st century and the perceived barriers that would prevent realization of those idealized visions.

The study assesses the Lesotho government’s assistance programmes in addressing the financial implications of Education for All (EFA) at secondary school level. It does this by examining the objectives of the financial assistance programmes, their main problems and tensions in the implementation, and how they impact on the education of poor learners. This research was conducted using a qualitative methodology, which relied in part on the case study approach by focusing on two schools in the poor areas of Lesotho. The study used a multi-method data collection approach with interviews, questionnaires and document analysis. The respondents were selected on the basis of their relationship to the implementation of these government programmes. The school sample comprised two (2) principals, four (4) parents of learners targeted by such assistance programmes, and four (4) teachers working with learners who were beneficiaries of these programmes and who knew how these programmes assisted them (or not). There were two MOET officials, the bursary manager at central level, responsible for all government assistance programmes; and the district education bursary administrator responsible for the OVC programmes and entrusted with implementing the programmes in line with the regulations. The decision to get information from these respondents was because they were knowledgeable or experienced in different aspects of these government programmes, their implementation, and the impact on schools and learners. ii Using the rational and political analytical approaches, the findings reveal the limited conceptualization of the financial assistance programmes designed to widen the secondary education of poor learners as these did not address the deeper problems of Orphans and Vulnerable Children’s (OVC) problems in accessing and completing their education. The rational approach indicates poor system resources and capacity to effectively manage these programmes, as well as poor monitoring and accountability at all levels of the system. The political approach emphasises the poor implementation context of these assistance programmes due to the conflicting agendas of various programme implementers. The role of leadership is identified as crucial in interpreting and effectively mediating the operationalisation of these programmes on the ground so that the more deserving poor learners benefit. However, such leadership appears to be lacking at various levels of the implementation process. The study concludes that in order for these government assistance programmes to have a lasting and meaningful impact on OVC secondary schooling, there is a need to review their assumptions and scope to address more fully the OVC needs. Additional resource mobilization coupled with strong leadership, monitoring and evaluation are necessary for this to be realised.

Cette thèse aborde la question de la gouvernance locale dans le secteur de l’éducation au Mali. Elle propose une analyse économique des mécanismes par lesquels les autorités publiques impliquent les acteurs locaux (collectivités territoriales, communautés, services décentralisés et déconcentrés de l’État, ONG…) dans la gestion et la prestation de services publics (éducation). Elle est structurée en trois chapitres, avec comme cadre d’analyse l’économie de l’éducation, l’économie du développement et l’économie institutionnelle. Le premier chapitre donne un aperçu du système éducatif malien à travers quelques indicateurs clés (taux brut de scolarisation, taux net de scolarisation, etc.) et caractéristiques majeures dont les inégalités d’accès. Il mesure également le poids du secteur de l’éducation dans l’économie malienne en termes de dépenses publiques et analyse quantitativement et qualitativement l’offre éducative avant d’identifier les facteurs qui influencent la demande d’éducation des familles.Le deuxième chapitre clarifie le concept de la gouvernance locale et son évolution notamment dans le secteur de l’éducation. Il analyse la gestion du système éducatif malien entre réforme et transfert de compétences et de responsabilités ainsi que les mécanismes de coordination et de coopération entre tous les acteurs. Il décrypte les logiques d’approbation de la gouvernance de l’éducation au niveau local grâce à une étude de terrain menée auprès des acteurs locaux dans la région de Kayes, de Koulikoro, de Ségou, de Sikasso et le district de Bamako.Le troisième chapitre analyse les enjeux et les défis de la gouvernance locale comme stratégie de développement éducatif. Il apporte une contribution à la problématique de la gouvernance de l’éducation par les acteurs locaux, tant en matière d’offre éducative que de scolarisation des élèves au cours de la période 2004-2011. Ensuite, à travers une application économétrique des données de panel, il évalue les effets de l’amélioration de l’offre scolaire sur l’évolution des effectifs. Enfin, ce chapitre évalue le développement de l’éducation au niveau local (région) à travers l’indice de développement éducatif (IDE).Au terme de notre réflexion, nous considérons que la gouvernance locale est un atout pour améliorer certains indicateurs éducatifs, notamment le taux d’accès, le taux de scolarisation, le taux de rétention scolaire, la couverture scolaire du pays etc. Pour autant, à elle seule, la gouvernance locale ne saurait satisfaire ou relever tous les défis éducatifs, tant dans leur dimension quantitative que dans leur dimension qualitative. / This thesis tackles the question of the local governance on the sector of the education in Mali. She propose an economic analysis of the mechanisms by which the public authorities imply the local actors (territorial collectivities, communities, services decentralized and decentralized by the state, the NGO) in the management and the offer of public services (education), while making a contribution of the problems of the local governance of the education. It is structured in three chapters, whit as frame of analysis the economy of the education, the economy of the development and the institutional economy.The first chapter gives to an overview of the Malian education system through some key indicators (rough rate of schooling, rate net schooling…) and its major characteristics of which inequalities of access. It also measure the weight of the sector of the education in the Malian economy in terms of educational public spending and analyzes quantitatively and qualitatively the educational offer before identifying the factors which influence the request for education of the families.The second chapter clarifies concept of the local governance and its evolution in particular in the sector education. It analyzes the management of the Malian education system between reform and transfer of competence and of responsibilities with the local actors, the mechanisms of coordination’s and cooperation’s. It deciphers the logics of approval of the governance of the education at the local level thanks to a study of ground led in the region of Kayes, Koulikoro, Segou, Sikasso and the district of Bamako near the local actors. The third chapter analyzes the stakes and the challenge of the governance local as strategy of educational development. He makes contribution to the problems of the governance of education by the local actors. It analyzes the contribution of those to the improvement of the educational offer and the schooling of the children during the period 2004-2011. Then, through an econometric application of the given of panel, it estimates the effects of the improvement of the school offer on the evolution of children. Lastly, this chapter evaluates the development of education at the local level through the index of educational development (IDE). In the term of our reflection, we consider that the local governance is an asset to improve certain educational indicators, in particular the rate of access, the rate of schooling, the school rate of retention, the school cover of country etc. for as much, it only the local governance could not satisfy or take up all the educational challenges, as well in their quantitative dimension as in their qualitative dimension.

Investing in education is considered one of the most powerful factors in the work of reaching sustainable development, yet over 265 million children do not attend school (United Nations, 2018). Reduced agricultural productivity due to changes in climate may be one factor affecting schooling negatively. This thesis discusses the relationship between variations in annual precipitation and female schooling in Namibia between the years 2000 and 2013. The study performs fixed effect OLS regressions on cross-section data from the Demographic Health Survey. As Namibia has been, and is currently suffering drought conditions, we aim to discover whether precipitation affects schooling for girls, and if so, in what way. Two theoretical were created to analyse the results, where either the substitution effect or the income effect is visible. The thesis’ results indicate that when annual precipitation increases with one millimetre, female schooling decreases on average with 0,0281 years, which equals to approximately 1,5 weeks. The reason for this is argued to be the opportunity cost connected to schooling, which is sufficiently too high for households to let their female children attend school. Due to the increased agricultural productivity leading to higher salaries and lower prices, the cost of schooling increases and will lead to decreased female schooling.

This essay studies the earnings, human and ethnic capital of immigrants in Sweden and how its transmitted across generations. it focuses on the first-, second-, and third-generation immigrants, were the results indicates that there are differences regarding earnings relative to natives between the generations and how the ethnic-, and human-capital is transmitted across generations. First-generation immigrants had an earning advantage relative to natives, meanwhile the second-, and third-generation faced a disadvantage. One conclusion is that the ethnic capital from the first-generation has a negative impact on the earnings of second-, and third-generation immigrants in Sweden. When measuring the ethnic capital from the second-generation immigrants, the results shows a positive influence on the earnings of the third-generation.

Este trabalho objetivou avaliar efeitos do ProJovem Programa Nacional de Jovens no município de João Pessoa, considerando repercussões do programa na trajetória de vida de seus egressos e na dinâmica política e institucional do local em que fora implementado. A análise focou os três primeiros anos de sua implementação, de 2006 a 2008. Foram aplicados questionários a egressos do ProJovem e realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com os coordenadores locais do programa. As análises apontaram que o ProJovem repercutiu de forma mais sólida no campo da escolarização e menos na formação para o trabalho, considerando a opinião dos egressos participantes da pesquisa. Em relação aos efeitos político/institucionais no município de João Pessoa, o programa constituiu-se forte politicamente e fraco institucionalmente. O envolvimento pessoal dos coordenadores locais, a visibilidade do programa no município e as formas de enraizamento nos primeiros anos fortaleceram o ProJovem, tanto em relação à coordenação nacional, quanto em relação à sua legitimidade no governo subnacional. Isso não se traduziu, entretanto, em repercussões institucionais, uma vez que o programa fora sempre algo estranho à estrutura organizacional do município. Evidenciou-se que o Projovem, no contexto municipal, apresentou uma faceta forte escolarização e política e frágil qualificação para o trabalho e institucionalidade. Os resultados obtidos instigam reflexões sobre os processos políticos e institucionais que envolvem a implementação de programas federais no âmbito local, especialmente no campo da educação e das políticas para a juventude. / This study evaluated the ProJovem effects in the city of João Pessoa, considering impacts of the program on the life trajectories of its graduates and in the political and institutional dynamics in the city they the program was implemented. The analysis focused on the first three years of its implementation, from 2006 to 2008. Questionnaires were administered to graduates, were also performed semi-structured interviews with local coordinators of the program. The analysis indicated that the impacted of ProJovem was more solid in the field of education and less training for work, considering the opinion of graduates participating in the research. Regarding the effects political / institutional in the city of João Pessoa, the program consisted strong politically and institutionally weak. The personal involvement of local coordinators, program visibility in the city and forms of rootedness in the early years strengthened the program, both externally and internally to the city. That did not translate, however, into institutional repercussions, because the program was always something \"strange\" in the organizational structure of the municipality. The Projovem, in the municipal context, presented a strong facet - schooling and politics - and fragile - qualification for the job and institutions. The results obtained in this research instigate reflection on the political and institutional processes that involve the implementation of federal programs at the local level, especially in the field of education and youth policies.