Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The main goal of this thesis was to better understand the role and function of the focus schools
project in the Western Cape, to explore the reasons for their emergence in 2006, and to locate the
policy initiative within historical and policy developments around vocationalism in the province. The
study focused in particular on how one focus school experienced the roll-out of this policy decision,
what the impressions of the learners and educators at a case study school were, and also how
officials attached to the Western Cape Education Department described the emergence and
implementation of the policy.
Further goals of the study were to contextualize the policy process that led to this form of provision,
and to conceptualise how this fitted in with educational development issues in the province. A brief
backdrop of historical developments and its role in the education of communities in the Western
Cape, particularly the coloured community, was provided to contextualize the policy initiative. The
main contribution of the thesis is its description and analysis of policy documents and the
viewpoints of a range of people connected to a new provincial initiative, focus schools, with regard
to what a focus school is meant to achieve and how it is experienced. Data was collected by
studying a range of unpublished policy documents, and to link these to interviews conducted with
departmental and district officials, educators, learners, and one principal in relation to one case
study school.
The study showed that focus schools were regarded mainly as a form of vocational education
provision to accommodate the desire of the Western Cape economy for intermediate skills in the
mid-2000s. It illustrated how the focus school band has run its own unique course within
educational structures since 2006, and highlighted how they have fulfilled their goal of getting more
learners from historically disadvantaged communities into further study or into positions that better
serve the needs of the local economy.
The thesis suggested that the policy focus of getting learners into higher education seemed
misguided and contrary to the goals of vocational education provision. This policy confusion was
further highlighted by learners interviewed in the study who noted that they would have preferred to
follow a more academically-based path. Few believed they could either get to university (as
claimed by policy officials) or into a viable employment poisition by following a vocational route at
school. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoofdoel van die tesis was om ´n beter begrip van die rol en funksie van die fokusskool-projek
in die Wes-Kaap te verkry, die redes vir die ontstaan van hierdie skole in die jaar, 2006 te
ondersoek, asook om die beleids-inisiatief binne die historiese en beleidsontwikkeling rondom
beroepsonderwys (vocationalism) in die provinsie na te speur. Die navorsing konsentreer
hoofsaaklik op hoe een fokusskool die implementering van die beleidsbesluit ervaar, en in hoe ´n
mate die leerders en die opvoeders verbonde aan die gevallestudie-skool die onderwysvoorsiening
beleef. ´n Gedeelte van die ondersoek gee ook die sieninge van sleutelpersone in die Wes-Kaapse
Onderwysdepartement weer.
Verdere doelwitte van die ondersoek was om die beleidsproses wat gelei het tot hierdie
onderwysvoorsiening te kontekstualiseer, en om dit te konseptualiseer in hoe ´n mate dit inpas in
die opvoedkundige ontwikkeling binne die provinsie. ´n Kort agtergrond skets van die historiese
ontwikkeling en die rol wat onderwys in die gemeenskappe van die Wes-Kaap, spesifiek die van
die bruin (kleurling) gemeenskap was aangebied om die beleids-inisiatief te konseptualiseer. Die
belangrikste bydrae van die tesis is die beskrywing en analise van beleidsdokumente en die
standpunte van 'n verskeidenheid van mense wat betrokke is by die nuwe provinsiale inisiatief,
fokusskole, met betrekking tot wat fokusskole beoog om te bereik en hoe dit beleef word. Inligting
was versamel deur die bestudering van 'n reeks van ongepubliseerde beleidsdokumente, en dit
verbind met onderhoude wat gevoer was met departementele- en distriks-amptenare. Opvoeders,
leerders, en 'n skoolhoof verbonde aan een gevallestudie skool was ook ondervra.
Die navorsing het getoon dat fokusskole ´n vorm van beroepsonderwys is om die strewe van die
Wes-Kaapse ekonomie vir intermediêre vaardigheidsvlakke te verhoog. Die planne was gedurende
die middel 2000´s in werking gestel. Die navorsing het ook getoon dat die fokusskool-projek sy eie
unieke verloop binne die onderwys strukture sedert 2006 gehad het. Die ondersoek het ook getoon
dat die strewe om meer leerders uit die historiese benadeelde gemeenskappe sover te kry om
verder te gaan studeer of posisies te vervul om die plaaslike ekonomie te bedien, nie so suksesvol
is soos die beleid dit vooruitstel nie.
Die tesis stel voor dat die beleidsfokus om leerders na hoër onderwys te lei, misleidend is en
teenstrydig is met die doelwitte van beroepsonderwys. Die verwarring wat deur die beleid
veroorsaak was, was verder belig deur die leerders wat onderhoude mee gevoer was. Die leerders
se mening is dat hulle liefs verkies om die meer akademiese-gebaseerde weg te volg. Min van
hulle het geglo dat hul weg oop is na hoër onderwys soos wat amptenare van die Wes-Kaapse
Onderwysdepartement beweer of dat beroepsmoontlikhede daar is nadat hy beroepsonderwys in
fokusskole gevolg het.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/20023 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Larey, Desiree Pearl |
| Contributors | Badroodien, Azeem, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ix, 97 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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