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Democratic citizenship education: implication for teaching and learning in post colonial Mozambique

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study deals with an analysis of Mozambican education policy documents, linking this
analysis to theories of democratic citizenship education. It suggests that, for Mozambican
people to become active citizens who are able to face and challenge their social problems, a
deliberative democratic citizenship education has to be adopted in their schools. In such
deliberation the citizens should participate equally and freely in different debates and
activities, without feeling intimidated by those in power. If such deliberative democratic
citizenship education does not exist in schools, the citizens may not be able to recognise their
rights and find solutions for the problems in society. The ideas of philosophers of deliberative
democratic citizenship education, such as Amy Gutmann and David Thompson, Seyla
Benhabib and Iris Marion Young, are used to think about democratic citizenship education in
Mozambique. This analysis assists in answering the following research question: ‘Can the
education policies in schools contribute to promoting democratic citizenship education in the
Mozambican society? If not, what should be done?’ Furthermore, interpretive methodology
and analytical inquiry are applied as methods to interpret and understand the education policy
documents and to undertake a critical analysis of the concept of democratic citizenship
education, as well as of education policy documents.
The analysis of Mozambican education policy documents illustrates clearly that the
government is concerned about the eradication of illiteracy, by increasing access to
education, equality and quality of education, and the preparation of citizens who know their
basic rights and can contribute to the development of their communities and democracy. The
results demonstrate that the government is achieving some of the goals related to access to
education. For instance, the government increased the number of primary schools from 7 013
in 1999 to 11 859 in 2008. However, more still needs to be done with respect to the quality of
education.
Furthermore, the study demonstrates that Mozambican education policies lack democratic
citizenship education. For instance, the education policies were analysed in three distinct
periods, namely post-independence, post-civil war and the period of the Millennium
Development Goals. The policies are indicated to be inadequate to cultivate democratic
citizens in Mozambican society, particularly because there is a need to boost a deliberative
democratic citizenship education in schools. For example, in the first period, citizens did not
have an opportunity to deliberate and be autonomous citizens in the educative process.
Everything was done by the government. In the second period the government allowed the participation of other organisations, communities and institutions in the educative process,
but there is no specification of how those citizens participated in the process of decision
making. In the third period the government became concerned about important aspects and
values of democratic citizenship education that should be taught directly in school. In this
context the government introduced Civic and Moral Education and themes to be discussed in
the classroom, which potentially will enable citizens to be critical.
This situation shows that, in public schools, teachers should educate learners through
classroom deliberations. It implies that teachers need to create conditions for the teaching and
learning process so that all citizens, independent of their origin, class, sex and race, can
participate and work together in deliberation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie handel oor ’n analise van Mosambiekse onderwysbeleidsdokumente, en
verbind hierdie analise aan teorieë van demokratiese burgerskapsonderwys. Dit stel voor dat
vir Mosambiekers om aktiewe burgers te word wat die vermoë het om hulle sosiale probleme
te konfronteer en uit te daag, ’n beraadslagende demokratiese burgerskapsonderwys in hulle
skole nodig is. In sulke beraadslaging moet burgers op ’n gelyke voet en vrylik aan debatte of
aktiwiteite deelneem, sonder dat hulle deur die maghebbers geïntimideer word. Indien so ’n
beraadslagende demokratiese burgerskapsonderwys nie in die skole bestaan nie, sal burgers
moontlik nie hulle regte herken nie en ook nie oplossings vir die samelewing se probleme kan
vind nie. Die idees van filosowe van beraadslagende demokratiese burgerskapsonderwys soos
Amy Gutmann en David Thompson, Seyla Benhabib en Iris Marion Young is gebruik om
demokratiese burgerskapsonderwys in Mosambiek te oorweeg. Hierdie analise dra daartoe by
om die volgende navorsingsvraag te beantwoord: ‘Kan die onderwysbeleide in skole ’n
bydrae maak tot die bevordering van demokratiese burgerskapsonderwys in die Mosambiekse
samelewing? Indien nie, wat moet gedoen word?’ Verder is verklarende metodologie en
analitiese ondersoek as metodes gebruik om die onderwysbeleidsdokumente te interpreteer en
te verstaan en om ’n kritiese analise van die konsep van demokratiese burgerskapsonderwys,
sowel as van die onderwysbeleidsdokumente, te onderneem.
Die analise van Mosambiekse onderwysbeleidsdokumente toon duidelik dat die regering
ernstig is oor die uitwissing van ongeletterdheid, met toenemende toegang tot onderwys,
gelyke en kwaliteitopvoeding, en die voorbereiding van burgers wat bewus is van hulle
basiese regte en ’n bydrae kan maak tot die ontwikkeling van hulle gemeenskappe en die
demokrasie. Die resultate toon dat die regering sommige van sy doelwitte behaal met
betrekking tot toegang tot onderwys. Byvoorbeeld, die regering het die aantal laerskole
vermeerder van 7 013 in 1999 tot 11 859 in 2008. Meer moet egter nog gedoen word met
betrekking tot die kwaliteit van onderwys.
Die studie demonstreer verder dat Mosambiekse onderwysbeleide ’n gebrek aan
demokratiese burgerskapsonderwys toon. Die onderwysbeleide is byvoorbeeld in drie
afsonderlike tydperke geanaliseer, naamlik ná onafhanklikheid, ná die burgeroorlog en in die
tydperk van die Millennium Ontwikkelingsdoelwitte. Die beleide is duidelik onvoldoende om
demokratiese burgers in die Mosambiekse samelewing daar te stel, veral omdat daar nog ’n
behoefte daaraan is om ’n beraadslagende demokratiese burgerskapsonderwys in skole ’n
hupstoot te gee. Byvoorbeeld, in die eerste tydperk is burgers nie die geleentheid gegun om te beraadslaag en as outonome burgers in die onderwysproses op te tree nie. Alles is deur die
regering gedoen. In die tweede tydperk het die regering deelname deur ander organisasies,
gemeenskappe en instansies in die onderwysproses toegelaat. Maar daar is geen aanduiding
van hoe hierdie burgers in die besluitnemingsproses deelgeneem het nie. In die derde tydperk
was die regering besorgd oor belangrike aspekte en waardes van demokratiese
burgerskapsonderwys wat direk in die skool onderrig moet word. In hierdie konteks het die
regering Burgerleer en Sedeleer en temas wat in die klaskamer bespreek moet word, ingevoer
wat burgers potensieel sal help om krities te wees.
Hierdie situasie toon dat onderwysers in staatskole leerders in klaskamerberaadslaging moet
opvoed. Dit impliseer dat onderwysers vir die onderrig- en leerproses toestande moet skep
waarin alle burgers, ongeag hulle oorsprong, klas, geslag en ras, kan deelneem en saam kan
beraadslaag.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/86344
Date04 1900
CreatorsGuirrugo da Maia, Ivenilde Race
ContributorsWaghid, Yusef, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Department of Education Policy Studies.
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Formatvii, 102 p.
RightsStellenbosch University

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