Contesting ideologies and the struggle for equality: Reconsidering the politics of education in South Africa

Abstract

As international standards are continually publicized, countries across the globe have adapted educational policies to meet the demands of the global market, which has led to much emphasis on specific subjects and teaching methods. Although modern educational policies tend to focus on rhetoric about inclusion, systematic segregation remains in many parts of the world. In the case of South Africa, the political transition in the 1990s had tremendous impacts on educational policies. However, by studying the policies that were in effect during apartheid, it is easier to understand some of the inequalities that remain. From the 1950s to the 1980s, Bantu education was used as a tool to support the apartheid state. In the 1980s, the People’s Education Movement began as a grassroots initiative to promote equal education and the transition to democracy. While the latter was achieved, the people’s education vision was largely abandoned in exchange for policies that would allow the state to be most competitive in the global market. Just as the apartheid regime imposed Bantu education on the non-White population, this article argues that international standards are now imposing a Western model of education on South Africa. Although great strides have been made toward a more egalitarian education system, this pattern has been occurring worldwide. Through studying these policies, scholars may better understand how the legacy of apartheid continues to impact modern education systems.