South African Education: Is social justice attainable?

The recent Freedom Day celebrations on 27 April 2018 in South Africa provided the ideal situation to take stock. For me it provided an opportunity to reflect. Born in 1964 it meant that I came to witness history when in 1994 the country managed to turn away from an abyss. While the centuries of wrong necessitate a lot of healing and forgiveness, it also require a considerable amount of effort and determination to help rebuild a society -- one in which all will be afforded an opportunity to prosper. This requires a society that would be socially just, so as to ensure that no form of discrimination will affect any individual. For politicians, however, Freedom Day celebrations offer an ideal opportunity to do what some of them do best: isolate more or less one thing -- usually the race card -- and point fingers and find scapegoats for what is (still) wrong with our society. The reason: It seems like the promise of a Rainbow nation is at a very low point. Maybe social justice is not attainable after all. There is, however, far more to consider than just race: gender bias and sexisim, the aged & frail, the very vulnerable, and the very poor, among others.

Deliberately not listening to all the speeches on TV or radio, and staying away from the frenzy often caused by individuals who incite (racial) tension using social media such as Facebook, I opted to once again read through Nicholas Spaull's blog. The reason: education is seen as a key to prosperity and a way to help build a socially just society. The question: What is happening in schools and education in SA? We all know the answer: Not well. With Spaull's sobering analysis of learner results and the state of schools, my eye caught the very distinctive white book on my desk -- one that shouts out in bold red letters "FIX". The rest of the title is a bit less in my face -- Prof Jansen and Morry Blank's book: How to fix South Africa's schools. Lesson from schools that work. The title suggests two things: something is wrong; some manage to fix it.

Having grown up in deep rural KZN, and having experienced rural-based education in the learners' seat, racially segregated schools were to end in my time. Later, early in my career as a teacher, I was among the first to have experienced efforts to normalise society by teaching in a school where we started to enrol learners from all races, all backgrounds, all classes. A sense of normality soon set in, together with a growing sense of South Africanness. Writing from a very specific perspective, another major facet to be taken into consideration when taking stock of South African education, is the fact that for most of my working life I have spent time in Mamelodi township -- seeing and experiencing what I often phrase the "other South Africa". This "other South Africa" is the one that not many whites get exposed to first hand very often. Usually they might see glimpses of this on TV, online news flashes or when they pass by on a highway. It is thus not strange to read about the two systems that exist, as Nicholas Spaull put it. Indeed, together with newspaper reports about dysfunctional and under-performing schools, Spaull's analysis of ANA and PIRLS results confirm what I have been experiencing since 1994: a lingering problem that continues to make South Africa one of the most unequal societies in the world. How ironic, given that we so desperately try to be what our Constitution allows us to be!

I am privileged to be in a position to educate a new generation of student teachers -- specifically for the Foundation Phase. While the urban-rural dichotomy plays itself out on a daily basis on my commute from the city to a former homeland where the campus is situated, I remain mindful of the gravity of our reality. Ours is a society that is multi-level -- one in which social justice remains a dream for many. While life in a rural environment could easily be romanticized, the lack of social mobility offered by schools stem from their own underdevelopment, which quickly wipes any images of an unspoilt countryside away from the hustle and bustle of city and all its evils. What then, in the 21st century, keeps teachers, especially in rural areas, from breaking with traditional forms of education? Despite the huge investments made in terms of time, money and other resources, what keeps the educational system to be divided in a 75% dysfunctional part, and a roughly 25% functional part? Indeed, where is most fixing required?

Listening to the feedback from some of my students, I am reminded of the various ways in which teachers contribute to social injustices: separating learners according to ability and then not paying attention to the "slow" or "naughty ones". I listen with abated breath to stories about teacher absenteeism. I am saddened to hear about parents who are excluded from school because they themselves are illiterate -- similar to the findings described by Lemmer (2007). The absence of properly maintained infrastructure, let alone 21st century tools like computers and the Internet shout out: "Fix me". In such environments, what it means is that teachers remain gateways to knowledge for learners trapped in communities where there are no libraries, or in schools with little or no books and other resources, for example. This reminds of Freire's notion of banking education -- an approach to education which characterised my own schooling.

Twenty four years into our democracy, living in a society that is desperately trying to find its feet in the world, I am thus left with a question: Whose responsibility is it then to ensure that we attain our aim with education as envisaged by the democratically elected government in 1994? To remind ourselves the aim is to engender critical citizens who can function within a democratic society. As long as we remain trapped in a situation where the majority of teachers are indifferent to the quality of their teaching, or make light of their role as agents of transformation, we will continue to fail our children at school level already. The consequences for society are dire. In this regard the findings of Spaull (2013), and others like Msila (2014), Thobejanea (2013), and Nkambule & Mukeredzi (2017), among others, remind us of the realities of school-based education in South Africa. As could be expected, teachers from different ends of the spectrum have different responses to the call to serve as agents of transformation, as evident from the research done by Francis and Le Roux (2011).

But then again, Jansen & Blank remind us of those schools where things have been improving; a better education is possible despite circumstances. For the time-being, the stories outlined by Jansen & Blank, like some of my own experiences, provide me with hope for a better future -- one driven by inspired, focused people who take charge of their own destinies. It reminds of Noddings and Giroux (De Beer, et al, 2010). One source of hope remains my students, who come with a youthful energy and the spirit of born-frees. There's a sparkle in their eyes -- one that suggest "I am ready to be a change agent". This is confirmed by the reasons they state for choosing teaching and a career: "I want to make a difference to my community". As we are reminded by Oprah: "Become the change you want to see." We hear you!

Here then the question: What is this change that you like to see? How can we work from different sides of the same coin -- the 25% and the 75% towards a normalised, socially just society? My approach: Let's start by looking at marginalisation in all its forms in our own, immediate surroundings. Once we have recognised it, we can work towards inclusion.


List of References

Lemmer, E.M. (2007). Parent involvement in teacher education in South Africa. International Journal about Parents in Education. Vol 1.

Msila, V. (2014). Transforming society through quality primary education in South Africa: Lessons from two decades after apartheid. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 5(6), 339.

Nkambule, T., & Mukeredzi, T. G. (2017). Pre-service teachers’ professional learning experiences during rural teaching practice in Acornhoek, Mpumalanga Province. South African Journal of Education, 37(3), 1–9.

Spaull, N. (2012, August 31). Education in SA: A tale of two systems - News & Analysis Politicsweb [Newspaper]. Retrieved 8 April 2017, from http://www.politicsweb.co.za/news-and-analysis/education-in-sa-a-tale-of-two-systems.

Thobejanea, T. D. (2013). History of Apartheid Education and the Problems of Reconstruction in South Africa. Sociology Study, 3(1), 1–12.

Disclaimer

The views expressed here are my own and do not reflect those of the University of Mpumalanga. Students' responses and those of others are their personal views.

School-University Partnerships - Jeckyl & Hyde or Hansel & Gretel?

Ever since Dewey, School-University Partnerships (SUP) have developed to take on a myriad of forms -- all with a single common denominator: initial teacher education. From the various types and approaches to SUPs Maandag, Deinum, Hofman & Buitink (2007), as cited by Gravett & Loock (2014), describe five models outlining different types of collaboration between schools and teacher education institutions. Of these, the teaching school has a particular appeal in South Africa, with the Faculty of Education at the University of Johannesburg having successfully implemented it at its Soweto Campus. Today, the Funda Ujabule teaching school is testimony to many hours of very hard work from a dedicated team.

The symbiotic relationship between schools and teacher training institutions should be obvious: universities educate recruits for a teaching career in schools, while schools are needed during the education of these recruits to show them how it is/should be done - or not done. From this seemingly symbiotic relationship various benefits are derived as is indeed the case with many SUPs. This is, however, not always the case. Plain sailing is most certainly not guaranteed. A range of factors contribute to tensions that manifest in a myriad of ways. On a meta level the best way to describe these tensions is that of being partners on opposite sides along a theory-practice spectrum. Gravett (2012) laments about the theory-practice divide in an exploration of a particularly successful SUP as practiced at the University of Johannesburg, i.e. the "teaching school". Traditionally, schools are regarded as places where teaching is being practiced. It furthermore assumes little theorising about the practice. At universities, however, it is assumed that there is more thinking (read: theorising) about teaching and learning - and even practice - than being connected to actual teaching and learning in real-world classroom environments. The question thus arises if such a disconnect with actual practice can be overcome through a SUP where an intense involvement is at the order of the day..

The body of literature on SUPs focus mostly on various aspects of teacher training and how universities and schools manage to affect teacher education. At face value, this surely sounds easy and straight-forward enough, but in reality it is far more complex to achieve synergy between the partners. Both come from different - some might say, even opposing - positions: school in practice and university busying itself with theory. Or that is, at least, the traditional view.

However, it is when we change our perspective about SUPs that we start to see possible solutions to the problems that characterize the professional interactions between university teachers and school teachers. When two organisations form a partnership, it is quite possible to see the partnership as a 'third space'. Furthermore, if SUPs' main focus is cultivating best practice the symbiosis between theory and practice grows stronger. Theory gets informed when practice is placed under researchers' gazes, resulting in changed practice once (new) theoretical approaches finally gets applied in real classroom contexts. This cyclical movement moves along a non-linear line reminiscent of how innovation occurs in organisations.

We can borrow from the private sector in search for mechanisms, systems and processes to ensure that a SUP delivers on its promise: the cultivation of best practice. It is when we start seeing SUPs for what they really are that we can begin to understand the importance of knowledge creation and dissemination among all members of the SUP. Finally such knowledge need to find its way into the whole educational sector where theorists and practitioners. Developing best practice through continuous learning is closely associated with Knowledge Management and mechanisms such as Communities of Practice - also referred to as Professional Learning Communities. SUPs are open laboratories in which organisational learning is the main outcome. Since knowledge resides in social networks it becomes imperative to manage relationships among the main stakeholders in the SUP: faculty-students, faculty-teachers, teacher-students, teacher-pupils, teachers-pupils-students, faculty-students-pupils.

Similar to employees in the private sector people need to know the systems and processes through which they can learn. An argument could thus be made out for using tried and tested mechanisms such as Communities of Practice also in partnering schools, as well as among the partners of a formal SUP that involves a new breed of partnering schools, i.e. teaching schools.

Following the views of Wenger and Lave Communities of Practice (some use Professional Learning Networks) are characterized according to a set of criteria. University teachers (faculty) and school teachers in a SUP therefore need to ensure that they are more than a mere work group or a team; certainly more than a community of interest. COPs ought to rely upon, share and generate an array of knowledge artifacts that needs to find its way into an organisational learning repository. The repository's purpose should be to serve a the one-stop source for learning, research and an easily accessible source of data / information / knowledge. All of this has one thing in mind: create wisdom.

The one main question that needs to be asked is how COPs - set within the KM framework - can ensure the development of best practice in a SUP. Here we need to turn to the 4-I knowledge framework. But for now this will require some more thinking about the knowledge practices that characterize the work of partners in a typical SUP; in fact, the flow of information, knowledge and wisdom itself need to be understood first. More on that later, since it is pertinent to to first establish good working relationships among partners that can vary from anything between the characters Jekyll & Hyde. In the meantime it is not far-fetched to envision a true fantasy partnership - a Hansel & Gretel scenario, perhaps. We surely have examples of such -- Finland!

South African Education - Legislation and Legal Framework

Education is a very powerful tool in the hands of the State - any state for that matter. Legislation can be used to exclude certain people from education, thus limiting such groups from the benefits of education. Legislation can also be used to limit the scope of education itself for it to become an organ for religious causes, military causes or other less desirable causes, amongst others. For example, some subjects / topics may not be tolerated. Think of evolution as an example. In some countries this topic is taboo! Indeed, education is a tool with which governments can shape a nation - for better or for worse.

Im sure we can all cite examples of other countries where education is used to exclude, suppress or favor specific sections of the population. We surely have examples of this in our own country!

When considering South Africa's legal framework the questions that we need to ask ourselves can include:

What are the aims of Government's policy with Education in post-1994 SA?
Which pieces of legislation are used to achieve this?
How does the constitution feature in what government does in terms of Education?

Which beckons the question: If education continues on its downward spiral, who is then in breach of the law? Who should be sued?

Sigh! - MORE Tests, Exams, Exercise questions!

In the list of collective teacher roles that was printed in the South African Government Gazette four things stand out for me as a lecturer involved with teacher training: (1) Subject Matter Expert, (2) Designer of Instructional Material (3) Assessor and (4) Life-long learner.

Depending on the schooling system through which you have come, I doubt if there is anyone who can claim that they have never written a test or have never been asked to answer questions aimed at testing their knowledge! In fact, if we look closely at how languages are structured, all of them contain grammatical rules that can change any type of statement into a question! And rightly so, since it it the basic ability to question that lays at the heart of our humanness! We have a sense of self through our questioning, including the questioning of others. And as a child you thought your parents have eyes behind the back of their heads since they have this uncanny ability to ask questions about things you hoped they rather not ask!

Assessment surely has its place in the teaching and learning process but for many their experiences with what seems to be a necessary evil are not always positive. In time, of course, as we expand our knowledge about how humans learn, specifically children, we have also acquired new methods to "test" or "verify" (perhaps gauge, ascertain, probe?) the level of insight, depth of knowledge and extent of someone else's knowledge. Undoubtedly, the prevailing learning theory will determine approached to teaching and learning as well as methods of assessment - a point supported in this blog post.

Nevertheless, it is when we use a three dimensional scale to triangulate level with purpose and object of assessment that we stand to gain the necessary insight into how best to approach assessment.

Mindful of the skills that learners in the 21st century need to master teachers will take heed of the real world and its demands on people. How we people live and work in the 21st century? Do we, like in the past put a high demand on individual achievement? Or, considering the importance of social networking and realizing that people do not work in silos or very rarely attempt to find solutions to problems by working completely in isolation, perhaps pay attention to new dimensions of group work - or collaboration! After all, a lot of learning takes place in social networks!

It is with this in mind that I argue that teachers should truly pause a moment and re-consider how they assess! Of course we cannot rid our society of tests and examinations!. Would you for example like to fly in a play knowing that the pilot did not need to write examinations but only had demonstrated his knowledge in what a flight simulator could through at him? Or what about a doctor? In this regard assessment has a clear purpose: its a Gatekeeper! If a aspirant doctor fails s/he can't be a doctor - for obvious reasons! And teachers? What if student teachers fail or do not manage to maintain a high average scores on their assessment opportunities? But that is a debate for another day! Suffice it to say, doctors sometime bury their mistakes, society have to cope with the mistakes teachers make!

What are your views of assessment? Have your past experiences left you with nerves in tatters and teary eyed? Did your self-image take a knock perhaps when one of the assessment in the most-feared subjects like Mathematics, Science or Computer-science "proved" to you that only "special students" can succeed? If that is the case, it is a real pity since a few experiences with certain types of assessment should not shape our whole futures! Sadly, however, it does!

If you are a student teacher, the question therefore remains: What type of teacher are you going to be? One that follows the traditional methods and stick to with what you know from your own experiences? Or will you be the type of life-long learner that will learn new ways of assessing your pupils so that assessment will fulfill the type of function that it is suppose to at any given level? We can surely learn a thing or two from our friends in Finland, not so? Assessment in the early years happens under the radar, and is never used as gatekeeping in the early grades! In fact, how can learning through play emphasise competition and the notion of "winner takes it all"? Never! That is why I love the principal of Ubuntu, especially at the early years when every child will actually try and ensure that every other child in the group also play along! What an awesome way to learn! I feel privileged to have witnessed this first-hand, in the 21st century at the Teacher Education Campus, Siyabuswa when the learners from Maraleng Teaching school visited us! 

Teaching Philosophy - a public statement

A teaching philosophy is a public statement that a teacher makes about his/her intended aims and goals, and above all, how s/he views pupils, the teaching and learning process and lastly his/her own role in an educational context.

The sad thing is that not all teachers keep such a public statement where it is visible for all to see. Worse still, some teachers might not even have a public statement that outlines their teaching philosophy!

We therefore need to ask the question: As a student teacher, can you reply to this blog post and make your own personal teaching philosophy public? Indeed, what are your views about a personal teaching philosophy?

Learning Theories in a Digital Era

Theories provide the necessary frameworks and guidance in terms of practice. Learning theories are an attempt to help us understand how people learn. The human process of learning is a complex one. In this case, learning theories give direction to how teaching will take place in order to achieve the kind of learning that the teacher aspires pupils to master. Learning theories vary since there are such varied views about what constitutes effective learning. Ultimately, learning theories are bound by approaches to education and what is deemed "effective learning" within the context of our times.

It is therefore understandable that learning theories would change over time - new ones will be crafted and older ones might become less prominent. With the advances in educational technology and the immense influence of ICT on our society, it is evident that changes are occurring that affect how we view learning. In the digital era with its explosion of knowledge and vast expansive online social networks knowledge, learning has been affected in various ways. But before we hurry and start to embrace new theories we need to ask ourselves: Are we learning differently in the 21st Digital Era than in the pre-digital era? Are we required to learn for different reasons than what was in vogue before? Knowledge has seen an explosion, thus beckoning the question: What are we required to learn that is so different from what we had to know before the Digital Era?

With the above in mind, lets consider the learning theories that have come to the fore following the proliferation of ICT in our society. First, we need to understand the more traditional learning theories that existed before the rise of computers and ICT. This website explains it very clearly. For one, Bloom's taxonomy has been adapted for a digital realm. But before you can understand the Digital version of Bloom, you must first understand the original Bloom's Taxonomy, and then its adapted version. Do you indeed understand this taxonomy? If not, look at this website. And what about "Digital Bloom"? Here is a brief summary of what Web 2.0 tools can be used for which of Bloom's domains. For teachers, the question remains: How to use Bloom in the classroom? There are numerous resources to guide and aid teachers with the lessons plans, verbs for assessment, and other resources related to Bloom.

Apart from Bloom, other learning theories that are applicable to us in the 21st Century are Constructivism and Connectivism. Constructivism received a boost in 1990s after its initial inception in the 1908s. With an increase in the use of computers a greater interest in a constructivist approach to teaching and learning followed with an increase in the number of books and other research literature. The principles of Constructivism are:

• Constructivist learning environments provide multiple representations of reality.
• These representations represent that complexity of the real world.
• Knowledge construction is emphasized over knowledge reproduction.
• Authentic tasks are emphasized in meaningful context.
• Real world settings or case-based learning is provided.
• Thoughtful reflection on experience is encouraged.
• Enable context- and content- dependent knowledge construction.
• Supports collaboration and social negotiation among learners.
• Discovery learning
• Collaborative activity
• Integration and activation of prior knowledge
• Opportunities for hands-on activities

The challenge remains for any teacher who wishes to embrace a Construcitivist approach to teaching and learning how best to use educational technology to achieve this. For any student interested in embracing a constructivist approach to teaching and learning, the question is obvious: How must teaching be approached differently and what Web 2.0 tools can be used to allow learners to construct their own meaning while they learn. What does Constructivism look like in the Foundation Phase? Here is an example.

Connectivism is closely associated with the 21st Century in as far as it uses the vast expansive social networks that have become a norm following the popularization of Social Media. "Learning happens in social networks" can also mean that the community construct curricula. Teachers can surely use a wide array of Social Media channels offer by Web 2.0 technologies to benefit their teaching in a highly connected community of learners. It is worth looking at George Siemen's views.

In essence then, student teachers in pre-service training programs such as the B Ed Foundation Phase program offered at Teacher Education Campus, Siyabuswa must ask themselves how they will teach differently once they become teachers. Which learning theory will best suit you in the Foundation phase at a rural school in South Africa?

ICT in South African Education - a Reality Check

South Africa, despite being the largest economy on the African continent, is not doing so great when it comes to Education. In fact, many believe that the educational system has gone badly wrong after 1994 stating that in some respects educational standards were higher before 1994. The call for a complete overhaul is loud and clear. The textbook saga in Limpopo still haunts us. Whatever the view about the current state, statistics based upon numbers speak for themselves. This is especially true when we focus on one aspects related to educational development, namely technology. The fact that connecting a school with the Internet still makes the news already says something! For example, a school in Thembisa got one lab connected! In the Eastern Cape, one of the most impoverished provinces and one that lacks development in its school infrastructure, ICT roll out depends largely on private companies, like Vodacom, MTN and Telkom, among others.

If we consider that the Internet became publicly available in the 1980s already, and that the development of the personal computer has put it in reach of almost anyone on the planet, the question needs to be asked: "Why is there not an Internet-connected computer on every South African teacher's desk?" Also, "Why does every learner not have direct access to Internet-connected devices in each class yet?" Let's do some tracking here. When we read the White paper on e-education that was published back in 2004, it is obvious that the ANC-government of the day had great foresight! In fact, by 2004 it was general knowledge that the Digital Age was going to have a profound impact on the whole world. There is a direct correlation between being connected and the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP - value / size of its national economy) It also did not require much thinking to realise that unless teachers were empowered to own devices and connecting them to the Internet through the school's network, great advances can be made to bring teaching and learning in line with expected international ICT standards.

The importance of ICT training for teachers cannot be ignored. In fact, UNESCO and OECD countries through their individual country reports pay particular attention to ICT integration in pre-service teacher training programs. The reality in South Africa is, however, a somber one. Even if pre-service teachers were to receive the best possible ICT training the chances of them being placed in a school where there is very little in terms of a well-developed, modern, well-supported ICT services are very big indeed.

But let us not despair. Numerous studies have unearthed the factors that need to be taken into consideration when addressing the "problem of ICT". Studies include an analysis of the role of school principals in the personal development of teachers in terms of ICT; yet others consider the attitudes, values and perceptions of teachers when it concerns their use of ICT in classrooms.

So if you are one of the born-free citizens of South Africa that was born after 1994, try and answer these questions:

What technology was available in your subject classes during your high school years?
Did you have access to modern-day technology in your high school?
Were you allowed to use the school's Internet services?

Which brings me to an important message: Take a careful look at your answers. Did you answer "no" to any of the questions above?

Perhaps you should take a look here! And now you ask yourself the following question: "Can you still afford to teach without ICT in your classroom?" Perhaps its time to send a clear message to your SA government -- vote for a political party that will deliver on its promises once it has been elected!