Student Number : 0102782D - MA research report - School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies - Faculty of Humanities / The South African environmental policies, NEMA (1998), and the White Paper on Environment and Development (1995) support the incorporation of environmental education into the national school curriculum. These policies propose that environmental education should be interdisciplinary and holistic in approach and should run across all school learning areas and disciplines. The policies further recognize the role of environmental education as a potential tool through which learners and the general public can engage themselves in critical issues related to environmental justice in South Africa. Interviews with teachers, government officials and Delta personnel show that the national policy initiatives, documents and projects have not yet reached schools in the Gauteng region. The triangulated findings from this research show that there is poor coordination between parties responsible for the implementation of policies. This poor coordination has resulted in teachers not being prepared and empowered to initiate, organise, implement and run environmental education in schools. As a result integrated environmental education is not being implemented across the curriculum in the schools that were interviewed in the study. The basic problem seems to be that teachers and school principals have poor understanding of the nature of environmental education. It appears, from the research findings, that this is linked to a lack of training and support.

As a result of White Paper 6 (2001), South Africa has embarked on a radical restructuring of its entire education system, with the aim of removing barriers to learning and including children with disabilities into mainstream schooling (Mittler, 2003). According to this new framework, autistic students should be included into mainstream schools but there is scant research on the feasibility and practical implementation of this. This study took the form of a qualitative analysis of the perceptions of both mainstream and specialised teachers in terms of the mainstreaming of autistic students in South African schools. Results of the study suggest that neither of the sample groups perceive the South African context ready for mainstreaming of autistic students. They felt that students with Aspergers Syndrome, higher-functioning autism, could be included more successfully. However, on the premise that all autistic students were going to be included, a number of changes would need to be made. These included the provison of paraprofessionals, smaller classes and a stronger emphasis on safety. Teachers would also need to receive extensive training on dealing with behavioural problems that autistic students may exhibit. It was further noted that mainstream teachers are in need of practical exposure to autism and training in this area.

Across the industry there are leaders at every level who are being challenged to think and act in new ways. The same is true for this commission. This can't be a "business as usual" review of the industry's status. As the first such government commission in this new century we are faced with a unique opportunity and a unique set of challenges. In this paper we provide analysis and recommendations on human capital issues that are simultaneously designed to be practical and visionary -- aimed to address root causes, not symptoms. / White Paper Version 2

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Educational Psychology) in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Needs Education at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2015 / Currently, South Africa is in phase two of implementing 50 full-service schools (FSS) and further development is said to be based on results from immediate to short-term results (DoE, 2005a). Concerns over the new development relate to whether resources are sufficient and available to further expand the provision of FSS and, overall, whether the Education White Paper 6 (EWP6) has been implemented successfully in phase one. This research therefore evaluates the implementation of EWP6 within selected phase one FSS in the Kwazulu-Natal (KZN) province. Purposive sampling was used and the researcher selected institutional-level support team (ILST) members within FSS to participate (n=43 participants). Questionnaires were self-administered and designed to address the following research questions: Have policy objectives been met in the implementation of EWP6 within FSS? What are the barriers to implementing EWP6 within FSS? And, what strategies have ILST members used to overcome these challenges? The questionnaire elicited both quantitative and qualitative data which was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software and thematic analysis. Some schools reported successes which include the enrolment of learners who experience diverse barriers to learning and optimistic attitudes among ILST members regarding possible benefits of inclusive education and their theoretical knowledge of multi-level teaching. Barriers to implementation of the EWP6 within FSS include inadequate resources (human, educational, physical and financial), inadequate support provision to FSS and ILST, inadequate training and subsequent training support and a lack of involvement from parents and communities. Many participants are unsure of how to overcome these challenges but, undoubtedly, are in need of support from communities, parents and the Department of Education (DoE).

A thesis submitted to the Faculty Of Education in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters Of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Needs Education at the University Of Zululand, 2017 / It has been 16 years since the release of Education White Paper 6 however, South Africa continues to experience challenges in implementing Inclusive Education (IE) by providing support effective for learners who experience barriers to learning. Education in society is a fundamental part of our lives and IE provides the platform to achieve a unified society. The study focused on the Foundation Phase where barriers could be identified and early intervention could be provided. The aim of this study was to ascertain the nature of the support strategies employed by Foundation Phase teachers in two schools in the Umlazi District. It also aimed to establish if learners who experience barriers to learning as well as if the teachers and the school were adequately supported. It was apparent that although the department of education addressed some of the challenges by providing a policy and guidelines on the implementation of inclusive education (National Strategy on Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SIAS) and Guidelines for responding to learner diversity in the classroom) there was little evidence of stakeholders having knowledge of the documents or applying the recommended strategies. A mixed method design was used for this case study. The quantitative method comprised of a questionnaire constituted the initial phase of the data collection. It was then followed by the qualitative method which involved a focus group interview with selected participants. The questionnaire was completed by 21 teachers from the two schools and 5 teachers participated in the focus group interview from the first school and 8 from the second. This study established that although teachers attempted to provide support to learners that experience barriers to learning, they found these strategies to be ineffective. The pre-service in-service training that they received to address barriers to learning was ineffective and inadequate. Support networks at the schools were dysfunctional and there was confusion about the roles and responsibilities of the various support structures. Stakeholders and external support structures were ineffective and inaccessible. The lack of communication and collaboration amongst stakeholders was evident. These findings are These findings are common and consistent with discoveries from previous research. Contributions of the study are important for further research and implementation of the recommendations would assist in ensuring that learners receive quality education that can help them to be productive members of society.

In South Africa the inclusive trend grew stronger since the White paper 6’s release. The need for a more integrated school was called upon by the Department of Education. The Department of Education selected 30 schools which represents a district to start the transformation process. Through guidelines written by the Department of Education it seemed that when mainstream schools are transformed to the phenomena of Full-service schools by the Department of Education or through themselves, many changes take place. However, there seemed to be a gap in literature regarding the changes taking place, this gap guided this research dissertation. This retrospective study was undertaken to gain insight into the transformation process and thereby into the change towards inclusive education. As a descriptive study on the transformation of one particular school it could also assist other schools that are on their way to such a transformation. The research approach adopted was qualitative process to gain insight and understanding of the changes made, but especially the role players’ attitude and feelings towards this change into a full-service school. Insight into this transformation process could provide insight to inclusive education, with an interpretivist paradigm, and applied to a single-case study (Stake 1995). Data collection consisted of open-ended interviews, visual diary and field notes. Additional documents were received from the school and the Department of Education and were included in this study.Codes for classifying the interview responses were predetermined (a priori coding) and designated as Microsystem, Macrosystem, Leadership and Management, Culture, Identity, Strategy, Structures/Procedures, Physical changes, Technical support and Human resources, as set out by the framework of Lazarus and Davidoff (1997:17). The interviews were open-ended. Visual data were collected to illustrate contrasts and similarities between conditions before and after the transition. The data obtained about the transition process were discussed using the a priori coding categories and drawing parallels to the existing literature. This research recommends and highlights significant aspects of the transition process leading to a full-service school. AFRIKAANS : In Suid-Afrika het die tendens van inklusiwiteit sterker geword sedert die vrystelling van Witskrif 6. Die Departement van Onderwys het ’n beroep gedoen dat daar voldoen moet word aan die behoefte aan skole met groter integrasie. Die Departement van Onderwys het 30 skole, wat ’n distrik verteenwoordig, gekies om met die transformasieproses te begin. Riglyne opgestel deur die Departement van Onderwys het getoon dat wanneer hoofstroomskole getransformeer word na voldiensskole, hetsy deur die Departement van Onderwys of deur hulself, daar baie veranderinge plaasvind. Daar is egter ’n gaping in die literatuur met betrekking tot die veranderinge wat plaasvind, en hierdie gaping het gelei tot die navorsingsverhandeling. Hierdie studie het slegs op die kwalitatiewe navorsingsproses staatgemaak om insig en begrip te verkry oor die veranderinge wat gemaak is, maar veral ook oor die rolspelers se houding en gevoelens teenoor hierdie verandering in ’n voldiensskool. Insig in hierdie transformasieproses kan insig gee in inklusiewe onderwys. Deur die transformasieproses te verstaan, kan skole gehelp word met hul eie transformasie na voldiensskole. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die oorgangsproses van ’n voldiensskool te verstaan en te interpreteer. Vir hierdie doel is ’n kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering saam met ’n interpretivistiese paradigma gebruik. Daarvoor het ek ’n enkele gevallestudie gebruik (Stake, 1995). Data-insameling het bestaan uit oop onderhoude, ’n visuele dagboek en veldnotas. Addisionele dokumente is van die skool en die Departement van Onderwys ontvang en is in hierdie studie ingesluit. Kodes is vooraf bepaal, naamlik mikro- en makrostelsels, leierskap en bestuur, kultuur, identiteit, strategie, strukture/prosedures, fisiese veranderinge, tegniese ondersteuning en menslike hulpbronne, soos uiteengesit in die raamwerk van Lasarus en Davidoff (1997:17). Hierdie proses van kodering word ook priori-kodering genoem, aangesien die onderhoude vooraf bepaal is. Die visuele data is voor en na die oorgang geneem om die kontraste en ooreenkomste duidelik te toon. Nadat parallelle tussen die relevante literatuur en priori-data geïdentifiseer is, is die data van die oorgangsproses bespreek. Hierdie navorsing beklemtoon belangrike faktore wat in gedagte gehou moet word tydens ’n oorgangsproses na ’n voldiensskool, en maak ook aanbevelings. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters in Educational Psychology in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Needs Education at the University Of Zululand, 2018 / The dispute of inclusion is one that has not only been a challenge for South African schools but for the country as a whole. The success of the implementation of the inclusion policy will not only talk to the progress at the schools in South Africa (SA), but it will also provide us with a glimpse of the nation’s progress towards the implementation of democracy itself. Considerable work has been done internationally with regards to the practicality of full-service schooling; however, a limited expanse locally. The objectives of the study were: (i) To determine the nature of experiences of primary school teachers in full service schools; and (ii) To establish if there is any relationship between the teachers’ experiences in full service primary schools and the variables of interest: gender, age, qualification, race and teaching experience. In order to address the study questions, a mixed method research design was employed. A sample of 63 teachers in Full Service Schools (FSSs) in Umlazi district was purposefully selected based on experience and expertise. For data collection, self-developed questionnaires comprising a demographic information section and a Likert-type inventory were used. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) accounted for statistical and descriptive analysis; and Thematic Analysis for qualitative analysis. The findings of this study revealed that a greater number of teachers had positive experiences within FSSs in Umlazi district. However, disabling conditions that prevent teachers to be completely convinced of Inclusive Education (IE) were found to be: Lack of support from the Department of Education (DoE), teachers’ perceived incompetency when dealing with impaired children, insufficient resources, maltreatment of disabled children by their non-disabled peers, lack of parental support, large class sizes and shortage of staff. With regards to the variables of interest in relation to the experiences of teachers in FSSs, it was discovered that: male teachers expressed more positive experiences than their female counterparts; it appeared that the higher the qualification, the more teachers felt confident about teaching in FSSs; more Indian teachers reported having favorable experience than black African teachers; and teachers with more years of teaching experience indicated optimism towards teaching in FSSs than teachers with less teaching experience. Recommendations from the current study suggest that teacher pre-service training be tailored in accordance with the requirements of teaching in a FSS. Workshops and conferences should be conducted to provide teachers with recent updated teaching material that will allow them to stay relevant with the IE curriculum. Furthermore, psycho-education around the maltreatment of disabled children should be provided to schools and communities in an attempt to bring awareness about disability and advocacy against the exclusion and the ill-treatment of the disabled. Again, psycho-education should be provided to families to bring awareness regarding the importance of the caregiver’s active role in the academic and personal life of a child. This would entail the process of providing education and information to families of children that attend FSSs. These recommendations would bridge a gap in the challenges that are experienced in FSSs.

Yes

This thesis analyzes the origins of the Arab-Jewish conflict and the historical evolvement of the Palestinian issue by focusing on the practices during the British mandate period. First and foremost, the factors which transformed the Jewish question into the Palestinian question are elaborated. In this context, the emergence of modern political Zionism is presented as the landmark incident in arousing the interest of the Jews dispersed all around the world in the colonization of their promised lands. Although the motive in initiating the colonizing activities in Palestine came with the advent of political Zionist thought, Jewish settlement in Palestine was materialized as a result of the development of British interests in the Middle East. The contradictory promises given to the Arabs and Jews by the British in the course of World War I are treated as the source of the conflict between them. It is stated that the Balfour Declaration, which is the manifestation of the British-Zionist alliance, is the preliminary step of the project of a Jewish state on Palestinian territories. In order to shed light on the implications of Zionist colonization on the Palestinian Arab society, first the socio-economic and socio-political circumstances in the Ottoman era are discussed. Later, the impact of the exclusivist policies of the Jews on communal relations is handled in detail. Moreover, the ways in which the pro-Zionist stance of the British mandate administration contributed to the nation-building efforts of the Jews are argued. Lastly, the causes and consequences of the sporadic Arab tensions, which broke out in 1920, 1921, 1929 and 1936 as a reaction against the British and Zionist policies, are analyzed.

This thesis analyzes EU Sport Policy and implicates this policy in some aspects on the Czech Republic. Thesis is divided into three main parts -- in the first part there are described theoretical approaches to the sport and the relationship between sport and public diplomacy. In the second part there is an analysis of the EU Sport Policy itself -- its development, the most important documents connected with sport, with an overlap into future. The third, practical, part describes development and specificity of Czech sport, analyzes the problem of financing in Czech sport and shows the connection of european and Czech dimension in sport. The third part also discusses, how could possibly the EU Sport Policy help to the Czech Sport Policy, or how could the Czech traditional sport background help the EU Sport Policy.