Thesis (PhD (Education Policy Studies))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / Since the dawn of democracy in South Africa in 1994, the South African
Education System embarked on an all important democratisation process. In
schools, this included attempts to dismantle the concentration of powers to
include all stakeholders in the governance of schools. Through this,
government wanted to ensure that education in its entirety is geared towards
development. This includes the birth of the South African Schools Act, which
states that a school governance structure should involve all stakeholder
groups in active and responsible roles, and encourage tolerance, rational
discussion and collective decision - making. This, in spite of the Act, did not
prevent schools, particularly black schools, from excluding learners from
exercising their democratic rights in terms of the Act. This led to the perennial
question underpinning this study: what idea of democratic participation could
prevent the exclusion of learner voices in school governance?
The study proceeds from using the broad theory of democratic participation
to include a liberal democratic approach. It argues for an inclusive democratic
participation to enable/promote a stable school environment. The basic
concept is that each school governance individual is to be treated equally, and
with due regard to his/her actual personal preferences. Three distinct and
inseparable methods of inquiry, namely conceptual analysis, deconstructive
analysis and the use of narratives, and three forms of data capturing in the
form of questionnaires, focus group analysis and journal entries are
employed.
Research findings revealed six problem areas that had emerged from the data
which shows that the situation in the structure of school governance is far
from ideal. I then introduced the deliberative democratic school governance
(DDSG) perspective as a tentative solution, as it became apparent that quite a
number of crucial issues are lacking in the structures of school governance.
These uncertainties and attitudes undermine the role of learners in
governance and also segregate their legitimacy in the decision - making
processes of a democratic state. Deliberative democratic school governance
(DDSG) therefore becomes the vehicle through which schools should address
the continuous uncertainties and impediments that govern their operations in
the school community and the staggering lack of partnership within the school
governance structure.
I argue and suggest that deliberative processes could be effective if they can
be fused with an African culture. The debate has to move from a ‘Western’
deliberative democratic participation model to one that both deals with and
addresses the bigger picture of ‘African’ democratic participation which is
driven by the belief that a person possessing ubuntu will have characteristics
such as being caring, humble, thoughtful, considerate, understanding, wise,
generous, hospitable, socially mature, socially sensitive, virtuous and blessed,
thus marking a shift from confrontation to conciliation.
Finally, the study identifies the need for moral ethics and democratic/social
justice to help address the complex societal issues which influence learner
outcomes and insists that schools become accountable for creating an
authentic supportive school environment for all communities and its role
players. Moral ethics, in its fight against violence and crime, will provide a
guide for educators, learners and parents. Its aims of ethical living and
democratic justice will provide the basis for a framework of balance and
harmony within these groups or society.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/1224 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Mabovula, Nonceba Nolundi |
| Contributors | Waghid, Yusef, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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