Abstract:

With the inception of democracy in 1994, a new curriculum had to be adopted to bring about transformation within the South African education system. Reforms within the educational system responded to the country’s need to produce learners who were independent, critical thinkers with the ability to make informed judgments. Consequently, an Outcomes Based Education (OBE) curriculum, by means of Curriculum 2005 (C2005), was adopted to achieve the ideals of the new democratic vision. C2005 needed to serve a dual purpose. Firstly, it needed to produce transformative educators who are qualified, competent, dedicated and caring. Secondly, it needed to equip learners with knowledge, values and skills that would promote social justice and equity.

This paper draws on:
(a) theoretical insights from retrospective and current curriculum policies; and
(b) data collected at a historically advantaged school in the Gauteng East District, in Johannesburg, South Africa to explore educators’ experiences to promote curriculum inclusivity and deracialisation in post-apartheid South Africa.

The study was nested within a qualitative, case study research design. The partiicapnts comprised the school principal, institutional development and support officer, and four educators who were were purposively selected to participate in the study. Semi-structured interviews were used to elicit data from the participants. This was supported by document analysis.

Findings reveal that despite transformation of the curriculum to address injustices of the past, inequities still prevail in the education system. Curriculum reforms still favour previously advantaged learners at the expense of previously disadvantaged learners. For example, learners from lower social class backgrounds bring with them divergent views that are not situated within the curriculum itself. In addition, training received by educators has been superficial and decontextualised. Consequently, educators enter the teaching profession with limited interracial and intercultural experience, contributing to insecurities and lack of confidence in teachers.

This paper argues that if curriculum inclusivity is to be achieved, then the education system needs to revisit curriculum content that renders it more inclusive to the experiences of previously disadvantaged learners. It concludes that a radical shift in educator training needs to be undertaken if educators are to become the transformed individuals envisioned in post apartheid South Africa.

Keywords:

Deracialisation, advantaged schools, curriculum inclusivity, education transformation.