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The issue of history, specifically history textbooks, has been at the center of South Africa's educational reform debates for years. One of the consequences of South Africa's delayed curricular reform is the continued use of apartheid-era history textbooks, which, among other things, deny European colonization and conquest and claim that whites and blacks arrived in uninhabited South Africa simultaneously. This study comparatively analyzes the content of old and new South African textbooks, emphasizing master symbols, number of pages devoted to certain historical events, and ideological implications of asserted facts. It also includes interviews with teachers at an all-white Afrikaans-language school, private and public integrated schools, and two public all-black schools. Students, professors, publishers, government officials, and journalists are also consulted. This paper explains that new textbooks have attempted to challenge the old apartheid narratives, highlighting migrations of blacks as well as whites. The most significant difference is in the treatment of separate development policy. Very little within these new history texts is written in Afrikaans. Though these new texts are a dramatic step forward, they are not available in many schools nationwide, highlighting the necessity of a more fundamental change in the curriculum. (Contains 24 references.) (SM)

The Iziko museums in Cape Town, South Africa in collaboration with the International Museums Studies Programme at the University of Bergen, Norway, have jointly developed a Web-based concept that combines oral storytelling with new technology to connect schools in the South and North. Awaiting funding at the time of publication, this project was scheduled to be trail tested later in 2002. African storytelling traditions support communal ownership of stories and involve multiple forms of expression: mime, dance, music, as well as verbal narrative. The South African project considers how the Internet can be utilized to support and enhance these forms of storytelling with authors in the South and North. This paper considers parameters of community involvement in widely differing socio-economic contexts. Township involvement includes extending storytelling workshops at community centers to the Web. Focusing on technology transfer, the paper also considers the relationship between central museums developed within the apartheid system with newly established community centers on the periphery of urban centers. It reviews the need for changes to established museums in the post-apartheid period with a particular emphasis on incorporating black history and contemporary oral history into social and cultural museums, both physical and Web-based, in South Africa. (Author/MES)

The history of language in South Africa is characterized by linguistic inequality, European domination and imperialist ideology, suppression and denigration of indigenous languages through non-recognition, and entangled interrelationships among education, race, language, and identity. Official policy enforced mono- or bilingualism through the use of European languages, yet multilingualism was the norm for millions of South Africans. This paper reviews the historical context of language issues in South Africa, highlighting the developments in that history that attest to the degree of European domination and marginalization of nonwhites. It presents an overview of the Constitutional provisions that accorded language and education rights to all South Africans and focuses on the key issues that emerged in the early 1990s at the close of the apartheid era. The paper concludes by considering current and future issues, illustrated by insights from research in South African schools that underscores not only progress made as but also the fact that real transformation in terms of linguistic equality is only in its early stages. (Contains 18 references.) (SM)

This paper reviews postapartheid educational policy between the 1994 and 1999 elections. Its objective is to interrogate the different concerns, approaches, and implications of the various policies that have been formulated to fundamentally transform the legacy of the apartheid system. Five principal concerns are discussed: (1) the historical legacy of apartheid education; (2) equity and justice; (3) democracy and participation; (4) economy and globalization; and (5) efficiency, quality, and effectiveness. The paper examines existing critical analyses of educational policy development and highlights what critics point out as the process of educational compromise and the narrowing of the policy agenda. Researchers have reported a growing skepticism regarding educational policy development in South Africa. While some hail the new policies, others worry about deep conceptual flaws, implied political betrayals, and empty principles. However, all of these accounts only provide partial explanatory frameworks for understanding educational change. By adopting a metapolicy approach to educational policy development, the paper considers the various influences that have shaped, and continue to shape, educational policy discourses. (Contains 91 references and 22 endnotes.) (DFR)

The South African educational system has experienced many significant changes in the past 5 years which are intended to facilitate paradigm shifts in terms of ownership of schools, equity, wider access, more mobility, and modernization. New legislation and policy frameworks propose numerous strategic recommendations. It was against this backdrop of new legislation and policy formation, the concept of effective schools, and the need for capacity building of institutions and individuals, that the Delta Foundation's Centres of Learning Project was born. The Project was designed to develop a replicable framework for the development of centers of learning through building governance, management, and administration capacity of leadership of school communities. After discussing the concept of effective schools, this paper describes the vision, mission, and objectives of the Centres of Learning Project, discusses project sponsors and project management, and explains the research and development process used in the project. It then describes the leadership training program and discusses the consolidation and practical implementation of the leadership training. Finally, the paper describes program evaluation and lessons learned. The proposed model for the development of centers of learning includes: scientific needs assessment; a training program on personal effectiveness and leadership skills; a followup workshop; a regular feedback session; a continuous monitoring of progress; and a replication of the process to other schools. (SM)

The chapters in this book were prepared 10 years ago primarily from a developed nation's perspective. Only minor references were made to the black people of South Africa. The principles, methodologies, and methods described in the chapters still may be valid for certain sections of South African society but should be revised to be applicable to the whole society. Since 1987 all aspects of South African society have been subject to change. To determine the type of service required in the new South Africa, consideration must be given to the nature and extent of family-related problems and external influences on family life. To achieve this objective, an overview and epilogue are given of major events to impact family life since 1987. The book is divided into a preface describing the original research (L. W. Harvey), six parts and an epilogue updating key factors from the original research (I. Snyman). The titles of each part include: (1) "Research on Family Enrichment" (E. W. Harvey); (2) "Evaluative Research on Family Enrichment Programmes" (Annemie de Vos); (3) "The Family, Psychopathology, and Services" (J. D. van Wyk); (4) "Research on Divorce Counselling" (S. M. van Staden); (5) "Research on Pastoral Services in Respect of Marriage Problems" (C. de W. Lombaard); and (6) "Research on Available Counselling Services for Children" (S. H. van Wyk). Each part concludes with its own bibliography. (EH)

This study offers a portrait of the schooling experiences of black South African student teachers. Approximately 1,000 students were involved in the study, which was conducted over 5 years. The project was designed to help the instructor examine curriculum studies courses for their ability to enable student teachers to reflect on their own practice and engage in curriculum issues. Most students at the university (University of Durban-Westville) are black and of Indian or African descent, but the student body is greatly diversified in terms of ethnicity, economic status, language, and religion. They graduated from high school in a number of different education departments, each for an exclusive race or ethnic and language group. Common themes emerged from their experiences. The first is that schools are violent places, characterized by political, state-linked, or gender violence. A second theme is that South African schools for blacks are steeped in authoritarian culture, a reflection of the apartheid system. Another characteristic of the schools is that learning meant memorizing, that school success meant regurgitation of facts. A fourth theme was that learning is very difficult for the poor. A final common theme was that language makes a big difference. Black African children typically had to learn in a second or third language, and could be punished for speaking their own languages. The experiences of black students hold a number of implications for curriculum instruction, and require taking into account the discrepancies between the approaches being taught in teacher education and the actual experiences of students in their own schooling. (Contains 11 references.) (SLD)

This project attempts to identify the major problems underlying education reform in South Africa and compares them with similar challenges facing the District of Columbia public education system. Narration for the slide program is based on interviews, formal and informal meetings, lectures, and briefings. Slides of various schools and communities provide additional insights into the organization, inhabitants, and functions of specific environments and populations. The paper provides a geographic overview, a historic overview, and an examination of apartheid conditions; it also examines current challenges in politics, economics, health, and education. (EH)

Based on a relevant doctoral study with the same title, and covering the years from 1930 to 1986, this report analyzes the origin and development of family policy measures in South Africa against the background of sociopolitical and socioeconomic change. Its main focus is on the changes that family life has undergone over the years in South Africa and the implications of those changes for family policy, including changes in (1) political policy; (2) marriage and divorce measures; (3) child and family care; (4) social security and (5) political measures with an effect on family life. The original study involved the analysis of selected policy documents related to social change and family life. The first chapter of this report provides an orientation to the study, while the second chapter discusses the conceptualization of family and family policy. The third chapter reviews the development of family policy in South Africa between 1930 and 1983, divided by sociopolitical events as follows: 1930-1938, the Great Depression; 1939-1947, World War II and after the war; 1948-1982, the Apartheid era; and 1983-1986, a transitional period. The final chapter presents an overview of the findings regarding the family and family policy, and social changes and their implications for family life. In conclusion, the report suggests that despite recent criticism, the family is an institution that should be cherished and protected. Enlightened family policy, accompanied by thorough research, planning, and the involvement of all population groups in the policy-making process, can make a real contribution to the quality of marital and family life in South Africa. Contains approximately 90 references. (AA)

This paper describes the effects of apartheid on higher education in South Africa and formulates strategies to restructure post-apartheid higher education for the greatest educational development for all South Africans. It explains that South Africa's apartheid system deliberately structured education to provide a well-funded system for whites at direct expense to other groups. These inequalities were further entrenched through a "Christian National Education" ideology which permeated curriculum and the cultures of learning. Inequalities have produced various degrees of educational disadvantage. Many institutions currently want to enroll more and more black students but in the process confront the consequences of apartheid education and so experience a tension between growth and diversity and maintaining quality education. The first step in response is to develop a strategy for educational development priorities for institutions that classifies institutions between two polar types. Classification then allows institutions to select appropriate educational development initiatives which usually take the form of either academic support for students or academic development for faculty. A series of core access initiatives, educational effectiveness approaches, and resource deployment strategies are listed and described. (Contains 22 references.) (JB)

This paper discusses educational policies of teacher education in South Africa. The predominant theory of the Afrikaner ruling elite, Christian National Education, and its teaching style, Fundamental Pedagogics, structures schools on an authoritarian, paternalistic framework that perpetuates apartheid. Because teacher education was controlled through departments of education for each ethnic group, all of which were under the government control, the twin purposes of separation and inequality were successfully implemented from the passage of the Bantu Education Act in 1953 until the student protests that began with the Soweto uprising in 1976. As opposed to the Afrikaner universities, the English language universities began to look for ways to contribute towards changing the way initial teacher education was conducted, and towards opportunities for alternative forms of inservice teacher training (INSET). The Soweto uprising significantly accelerated the entry of private agencies into the field of INSET. Four types of nongovernmental INSET programs emerged: (1) those undertaken by universities, always with a research component; (2) those operating under the management of independent organizations set up especially for the purpose; (3) those run by bodies with wider interests for which INSET was but one activity; and (4) INSET agencies that have grown out of local community actions. The development of Peoples' Education and the action research programs developed in some of the universities are described. The most characteristic feature of the action research initiatives in the South African context has been their clear commitment to linking the political and the educational in a concerted effort to stimulate educational and social transformation. (DK)

This paper describes the status of library services in Natal, South Africa. Fragmented services dominate the area, with public, urban, and school libraries existing in complete autonomy from each other and ambivalent about each other's existence. Within school libraries, provision of services varies widely and reflects the wider apartheid structure of privilege that is racially defined. This difference is found in all elements of a school library service--materials, staff, accommodation, organization, and funding. Provincial libraries, purportedly open now to all citizens of the province, have not provided equal access for blacks, and some town councils have invoked a variety of measures as a means to exclude black users. Urban libraries and provincial libraries both are organized around central libraries which coordinate services in branches and other service points, and provide all training, materials, and funding through their central administration. This structure has contributed to limiting access to library services for many citizens. A number of arguments are presented which support improved distribution of library funds and services to the schools and to public libraries. There is hope that library services will become more coordinated and more equitably distributed. The University of Natal's Durban School Library conference established a historic collaborative group, dedicated to annual meetings to discuss and enhance education and media issues. (Contains 13 references.) (SWC)

The policy of apartheid, until recently one of the dominant aspects of South African society, has caused grievous harm to that nation's non-white population, especially black women and children. Most black children have not grown up in stable, two-parent families due to migrant labor policies and low wages. Housing, health care, nutrition, and educational opportunity in black communities is inferior to that in White areas due to the restrictions imposed on Blacks by apartheid. Black children are also victims of the continuing violence in South Africa and of exploitative labor practices. The international community can help relieve some of these legacies of apartheid by providing funds and other assistance to ensure that: (1) children have adequate health care and nutrition; (2) disadvantaged communities have adequate basic infrastructure and services such as clean water, waste disposal, and schools; (3) disadvantaged South Africans become literate and learn skills to empower and provide for themselves; and (4) public awareness is stimulated to help assist South Africa's children. Investment in the well-being, education, and skills of mothers and children is crucial to economic prosperity, political stability, and development in South Africa. (MDM)

The formation of the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) has raised a number of questions about the strategic orientation of teachers in South Africa. These questions are regarded in light of recent political and social changes in the country. Most teacher organizations are reluctant to disband in favor of the new union. The experience and political orientation of "coloured" teachers in Durban (South Africa) were studied. Section I of this report describes methodological considerations and the theoretical framework for the study. Section II deals with the analysis and interpretation of the findings. Subjects were 81 teachers in 11 schools. In the Durban area, colored teachers as a whole do not have a tradition of resistance to apartheid, but they cannot be separated from their sociopolitical context. Most colored teachers in Durban have been teaching a relatively short time, reflecting the new growth in education in their community. Many of the respondents were satisfied with many aspects of their work, but many expressed dissatisfaction with other aspects that appear to erode teacher autonomy over their work, bringing the work of teachers closer to that of the working class, and making the teachers less representative of the middle class. Findings also show a link between respondents' dissatisfaction and their attitudes toward the education department. Findings further suggest that individual colored teachers in Durban are engaged in individual strategies to acquire upward mobility. In Durban, these teachers are subjected to a number of social and political conflicts that pull them in different directions. There is, however, an objective basis for these teachers to be included in the establishment of a national democracy in South Africa. The teacher survey and a memorandum from the local teachers' organization are included. (Contains 12 tables and 27 references.) (SLD)

The widespread perception amongst advocates for learners from oppressed communities that linguistics are incapable of addressing such issues as the unequal distribution of power in South Africa, or of making their discipline part of the process of democratic transformation is traced to the paucity of studies concerned with the role of language in the establishment, maintenance, and change of social relations of power. To illustrate the sort of research required, this paper focuses on studies of compliment giving and responding behaviour in the fields of ethnography of speaking and critical language study. It also traces the implications of a fuller understanding of the relationships between language and power for language education policy and practice for post-apartheid South Africa. (Author)

This handbook explores Europe's nonprofit nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that have been working for change in South Africa and now are engaged, or planning to engage in the economic, social, and human resource development of a democratic South Africa. The purposes of the document are to: (1) illuminate for both donor agencies and groups seeking support the complex framework in which the NGOs operate; (2) clarify sources of financial, technical, and informational assistance for sustainable development programs in South Africa; and (3) draw lessons from development policies and experiences taken from the narrative. After an introduction, the report presents the institutional framework, describing both the intergovernmental organizations and the international nongovernmental networks of which it consists. This is followed by the core section of the document, a country-by-country description of European NGOs working with or for South Africa, arranged alphabetically by country from Belgium through the United Kingdom. A concluding section highlights recurring development issues and implications. An attached glossary provides a list of abbreviations for the NGOs discussed in the text. (LBG)

The state of preschool education and day care (educare) in South Africa is summarized in this report. The first of five parts quotes relevant national and provincial laws that apply to preschool education in South Africa. The second part outlines the national government's preschool education policies, as set forth in the 1983 White Paper on the Provision of Education in South Africa, as well as specific national and provincial policies that apply to White, Colored, Indian, and Black preschool education. The third part summarizes national and provincial policies and standards that apply to day care for White, Colored, Indian, and Black children. The fourth and fifth parts outline educare policies and standards in the Black homelands of Bophuthatswana and Swaziland. (MDM)

An examination of cross-cultural toleration in South African university classrooms and speculation on the causes and effects of this toleration are presented in this paper. South African faculty attitudes are surveyed and compared against U.S. faculty attitudes. Findings expose the need for improvement regarding cross-cultural communication in the South African university classroom and an understanding of linguistic differences such as style, nonverbal behaviors, and high and low context communication process. Survey results are attached. (Author/DB)