Twenty years into democracy critical questions are being asked as to where South Africa is with r... more Twenty years into democracy critical questions are being asked as to where South Africa is with respect to these lofty aims and projections that were made in 1994. How, for instance, should the country's progress be measured? Should achieving access to education at all levels be an ideal yardstick for measuring the impact of our post-apartheid education transformation initiatives? Are standardised tests a reliable measure of questions about the country's democratic benchmarks? What about the quality of education? Can we comfortably say that our schools are producing the kind of learners that the WPET called for in 1995?
The introduction discusses the antecedents of the study that gave rise to the book: Student Pathw... more The introduction discusses the antecedents of the study that gave rise to the book: Student Pathways and Graduate Destinations
This chapter interrogates the challenges of poor pass rates at UNISA and the associated trend by ... more This chapter interrogates the challenges of poor pass rates at UNISA and the associated trend by which students do not graduate within the specific duration required to complete their designated study program. It briefly describes the ODL framework with a view to providing readers with some understanding of how a distance education institution like UNISA operates. In a country like South Africa, which is marked by high levels of unemployment, adult illiteracy and socio-economic inequalities, an optimally functioning higher education sector that delivers good pass rates and good throughput rates is sine qua non to global economic competitiveness and a sense of well-being among its citizenry. Thus the imperative to sufficiently deal with the twin issue of equity and redress in a country that has only just emerged from a system of rule that privileged the white minority while marginalizing, disadvantaging and excluding the vast majority of the Africa peoples from socio-economic opportunities cannot be overemphasized. The chapter briefly describes the open distance learning (ODL) mode that UNISA operates. By its very nature as an ODL institution UNISA targets mature working adults who do not have the time to pursue higher education qualification at full-time contact institutions. At the time of writing UNISA’s student headcount enrollments were estimated to be close to 400 000 in a country where national headcount enrollments are close to 1 million. This puts UNISA’s share of South Africa’s headcount enrollments at just over 40%. The chapter grapples with the challenges of UNISAs pass rates, which have been described as “shocking”. A recent authoritative government report on post-school education and training statistics shows that UNISAs percentage of graduation rates in undergraduate, masters and doctoral degrees during 2010 were well below national averages of 16%, 18% and 12%. In fact UNISA’s averages in the three categories above were in single digits. The chapter proposes a review of the university’s admission policy; a coordinated and sustained student support program, and a tightening of the tracking system of ‘at-risk’ students.
This chapter explores the University of South Africa (UNISA)’s immanent shift from open distance ... more This chapter explores the University of South Africa (UNISA)’s immanent shift from open distance learning (ODL) to open distance e-learning (ODeL). It considers UNISA’s initial mandate as an ODL institution that provides higher education opportunities to previously disadvantaged, predominantly African students who would otherwise not be able to obtain a higher education qualification were they to be left at the mercy of full-time, campus-based and contact higher education institutions. The move from ODL to ODeL presumes existence of an established culture, use of, and reliance on modern electronic technologies. But while South Africa has pockets of urban cosmopolitan enclaves in the form of major modern cities and sub-urban areas, the larger spatial spread of the country remains rural, communal, invariably poor and excluded from the broader benefits of modern electronic technologies in what is known as the ‘digital divide’. UNISA needs to reconcile its commitment to the mandate to provide higher education learning opportunities for the majority poor and previously marginalized Africans with the envisaged shift to ODeL. It needs to vigorously deal with the probable perception that the shift to ODeL might have the unintended consequence of perpetuating inherited socio-economic inequalities; that it might potentially exclude the poor from access to open distance learning opportunities as a result of a policy shift that equates access to higher education opportunities with possession of, and access to modern electronic technologies, which the mass of the poor might not afford. The chapter grapples with the perceived social benefits of the shift to ODeL. It argues that the promise of the global e-learning system can only be realized at UNISA if the university were to strive for a better understanding of the views on teaching and learning that pertain to the specific socio-economic and cultural context of South Africa.
The paper offers a rebuttal of the claim that amalgamation of traditional African values and libe... more The paper offers a rebuttal of the claim that amalgamation of traditional African values and liberal democratic values in South Africa is a contradiction. South Africa is a liberal democracy whose constitution recognizes the institution of traditional leadership, or ‘chieftaincy’. Japan is a good example of a non-Western liberal democracy that has successfully imported and indigenized aspects of Western liberalism to suit its local imperatives. South Africa has the opportunity to amalgamate traditional African values and liberal democratic values to fashion a philosophy of education that is liberal while rooted in African cultures and also responsive to globalization and cosmopolitanism.
Discipline in schools, as a thorny issue facing the current South African education system, has b... more Discipline in schools, as a thorny issue facing the current South African education system, has been and continues to be a global concern. With the advent of the new democratic dispensation in 1994, adoption of South Africa’s 1996 Constitution, ratification of human rights and children’s rights, and banning of corporal punishment, disciplinary problems escalated in schools. Central to this paper is the assumption that repressive and authoritarian forms of discipline perpetuate domination. The purpose of this article is to offer a philosophical account and theoretical framework for the management of discipline in schools that is compatible with the Restorative Justice Principles and democratic values. The paper draws on the ideas of French philosopher Michel Foucault as conceptual tools to try and understand the politics of the escalating school disciplinary problems and to provide an alternative framework for re-imagining the practice of school discipline.
South Africa’s university graduation rate of 15% is one of the lowest in the world. Higher educat... more South Africa’s university graduation rate of 15% is one of the lowest in the world. Higher education also reflects broader inequalities, with the graduation rate for white students more than double that of black students. Black students are generally under-represented at universities, a demographic reality that promises to reproduce racial inequalities well into the future. Broader steps to tackle poverty and inequality are needed to address these disparities in higher education. In addition, we recommend a voucher system to support lower-income students.
As a country South Africa has come far in efforts to
transform the education landscape to suit th... more As a country South Africa has come far in efforts to transform the education landscape to suit the multiparty democratic political dispensation. The country has taken giant steps towards addressing the challenges that exposed it in its entrance to the international education fraternity. Isolated from the world and insulated within its borders due to embargoes and disinvestment in the pre-1994 era, the post-1994 period marked the era of putting together policies and legislation, firstly to erase apartheid policies and legislation, and secondly to replace them with policies and legislation that were deemed to be pro-democratic in their emphasis on dealing with issues of access to education and eradication of past inequities.
More recently, attention has been given to the area of Teacher Professional Development (TPD). It... more More recently, attention has been given to the area of Teacher Professional Development (TPD). It is widely
recognised that TPD is a key mechanism for improving classroom instruction and student achievement. Despite the
fact that much has been written about TPD, there exist gaps in many contemporary texts on TPD – failure to see
(TPD) as a discourse, power and reflexive practice. Drawing on Foucault and Freire’s works, this article among other,
captures the insights on TPD, argues teacher professional development as power, reflexive practice and a discourse.
The paper offers a rebuttal of the claim that amalgamation of traditional African values and libe... more The paper offers a rebuttal of the claim that amalgamation of traditional African values and liberal democratic values in South Africa is a contradiction. South Africa is a liberal democracy whose constitution recognizes the institution of traditional leadership, or ‘chieftaincy’. Japan is a good example of a non-Western liberal democracy that has successfully imported and indigenized aspects of Western liberalism to suit its local imperatives. South Africa has the opportunity to amalgamate traditional African values and liberal democratic values to fashion a philosophy of education that is liberal while rooted in African cultures and also responsive to globalization and cosmopolitanism.
Twenty years into democracy critical questions are being asked as to where South Africa is with r... more Twenty years into democracy critical questions are being asked as to where South Africa is with respect to these lofty aims and projections that were made in 1994. How, for instance, should the country's progress be measured? Should achieving access to education at all levels be an ideal yardstick for measuring the impact of our post-apartheid education transformation initiatives? Are standardised tests a reliable measure of questions about the country's democratic benchmarks? What about the quality of education? Can we comfortably say that our schools are producing the kind of learners that the WPET called for in 1995?
The introduction discusses the antecedents of the study that gave rise to the book: Student Pathw... more The introduction discusses the antecedents of the study that gave rise to the book: Student Pathways and Graduate Destinations
This chapter interrogates the challenges of poor pass rates at UNISA and the associated trend by ... more This chapter interrogates the challenges of poor pass rates at UNISA and the associated trend by which students do not graduate within the specific duration required to complete their designated study program. It briefly describes the ODL framework with a view to providing readers with some understanding of how a distance education institution like UNISA operates. In a country like South Africa, which is marked by high levels of unemployment, adult illiteracy and socio-economic inequalities, an optimally functioning higher education sector that delivers good pass rates and good throughput rates is sine qua non to global economic competitiveness and a sense of well-being among its citizenry. Thus the imperative to sufficiently deal with the twin issue of equity and redress in a country that has only just emerged from a system of rule that privileged the white minority while marginalizing, disadvantaging and excluding the vast majority of the Africa peoples from socio-economic opportunities cannot be overemphasized. The chapter briefly describes the open distance learning (ODL) mode that UNISA operates. By its very nature as an ODL institution UNISA targets mature working adults who do not have the time to pursue higher education qualification at full-time contact institutions. At the time of writing UNISA’s student headcount enrollments were estimated to be close to 400 000 in a country where national headcount enrollments are close to 1 million. This puts UNISA’s share of South Africa’s headcount enrollments at just over 40%. The chapter grapples with the challenges of UNISAs pass rates, which have been described as “shocking”. A recent authoritative government report on post-school education and training statistics shows that UNISAs percentage of graduation rates in undergraduate, masters and doctoral degrees during 2010 were well below national averages of 16%, 18% and 12%. In fact UNISA’s averages in the three categories above were in single digits. The chapter proposes a review of the university’s admission policy; a coordinated and sustained student support program, and a tightening of the tracking system of ‘at-risk’ students.
This chapter explores the University of South Africa (UNISA)’s immanent shift from open distance ... more This chapter explores the University of South Africa (UNISA)’s immanent shift from open distance learning (ODL) to open distance e-learning (ODeL). It considers UNISA’s initial mandate as an ODL institution that provides higher education opportunities to previously disadvantaged, predominantly African students who would otherwise not be able to obtain a higher education qualification were they to be left at the mercy of full-time, campus-based and contact higher education institutions. The move from ODL to ODeL presumes existence of an established culture, use of, and reliance on modern electronic technologies. But while South Africa has pockets of urban cosmopolitan enclaves in the form of major modern cities and sub-urban areas, the larger spatial spread of the country remains rural, communal, invariably poor and excluded from the broader benefits of modern electronic technologies in what is known as the ‘digital divide’. UNISA needs to reconcile its commitment to the mandate to provide higher education learning opportunities for the majority poor and previously marginalized Africans with the envisaged shift to ODeL. It needs to vigorously deal with the probable perception that the shift to ODeL might have the unintended consequence of perpetuating inherited socio-economic inequalities; that it might potentially exclude the poor from access to open distance learning opportunities as a result of a policy shift that equates access to higher education opportunities with possession of, and access to modern electronic technologies, which the mass of the poor might not afford. The chapter grapples with the perceived social benefits of the shift to ODeL. It argues that the promise of the global e-learning system can only be realized at UNISA if the university were to strive for a better understanding of the views on teaching and learning that pertain to the specific socio-economic and cultural context of South Africa.
The paper offers a rebuttal of the claim that amalgamation of traditional African values and libe... more The paper offers a rebuttal of the claim that amalgamation of traditional African values and liberal democratic values in South Africa is a contradiction. South Africa is a liberal democracy whose constitution recognizes the institution of traditional leadership, or ‘chieftaincy’. Japan is a good example of a non-Western liberal democracy that has successfully imported and indigenized aspects of Western liberalism to suit its local imperatives. South Africa has the opportunity to amalgamate traditional African values and liberal democratic values to fashion a philosophy of education that is liberal while rooted in African cultures and also responsive to globalization and cosmopolitanism.
Discipline in schools, as a thorny issue facing the current South African education system, has b... more Discipline in schools, as a thorny issue facing the current South African education system, has been and continues to be a global concern. With the advent of the new democratic dispensation in 1994, adoption of South Africa’s 1996 Constitution, ratification of human rights and children’s rights, and banning of corporal punishment, disciplinary problems escalated in schools. Central to this paper is the assumption that repressive and authoritarian forms of discipline perpetuate domination. The purpose of this article is to offer a philosophical account and theoretical framework for the management of discipline in schools that is compatible with the Restorative Justice Principles and democratic values. The paper draws on the ideas of French philosopher Michel Foucault as conceptual tools to try and understand the politics of the escalating school disciplinary problems and to provide an alternative framework for re-imagining the practice of school discipline.
South Africa’s university graduation rate of 15% is one of the lowest in the world. Higher educat... more South Africa’s university graduation rate of 15% is one of the lowest in the world. Higher education also reflects broader inequalities, with the graduation rate for white students more than double that of black students. Black students are generally under-represented at universities, a demographic reality that promises to reproduce racial inequalities well into the future. Broader steps to tackle poverty and inequality are needed to address these disparities in higher education. In addition, we recommend a voucher system to support lower-income students.
As a country South Africa has come far in efforts to
transform the education landscape to suit th... more As a country South Africa has come far in efforts to transform the education landscape to suit the multiparty democratic political dispensation. The country has taken giant steps towards addressing the challenges that exposed it in its entrance to the international education fraternity. Isolated from the world and insulated within its borders due to embargoes and disinvestment in the pre-1994 era, the post-1994 period marked the era of putting together policies and legislation, firstly to erase apartheid policies and legislation, and secondly to replace them with policies and legislation that were deemed to be pro-democratic in their emphasis on dealing with issues of access to education and eradication of past inequities.
More recently, attention has been given to the area of Teacher Professional Development (TPD). It... more More recently, attention has been given to the area of Teacher Professional Development (TPD). It is widely
recognised that TPD is a key mechanism for improving classroom instruction and student achievement. Despite the
fact that much has been written about TPD, there exist gaps in many contemporary texts on TPD – failure to see
(TPD) as a discourse, power and reflexive practice. Drawing on Foucault and Freire’s works, this article among other,
captures the insights on TPD, argues teacher professional development as power, reflexive practice and a discourse.
The paper offers a rebuttal of the claim that amalgamation of traditional African values and libe... more The paper offers a rebuttal of the claim that amalgamation of traditional African values and liberal democratic values in South Africa is a contradiction. South Africa is a liberal democracy whose constitution recognizes the institution of traditional leadership, or ‘chieftaincy’. Japan is a good example of a non-Western liberal democracy that has successfully imported and indigenized aspects of Western liberalism to suit its local imperatives. South Africa has the opportunity to amalgamate traditional African values and liberal democratic values to fashion a philosophy of education that is liberal while rooted in African cultures and also responsive to globalization and cosmopolitanism.
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Papers by Moeketsi Letseka
projections that were made in 1994. How, for instance, should the country's progress be measured? Should achieving access to education at all levels be an ideal yardstick for
measuring the impact of our post-apartheid education transformation initiatives? Are standardised tests a reliable measure of questions about the country's democratic benchmarks? What about the quality of education?
Can we comfortably say that our schools are producing the kind of learners that the WPET called for in 1995?
in South Africa is a contradiction. South Africa is a liberal democracy whose constitution recognizes the institution
of traditional leadership, or ‘chieftaincy’. Japan is a good example of a non-Western liberal democracy that has
successfully imported and indigenized aspects of Western liberalism to suit its local imperatives. South Africa has
the opportunity to amalgamate traditional African values and liberal democratic values to fashion a philosophy of
education that is liberal while rooted in African cultures and also responsive to globalization and cosmopolitanism.
inequalities, with the graduation rate for white students more than double that of black students. Black students are generally
under-represented at universities, a demographic reality that promises to reproduce racial inequalities well into the future.
Broader steps to tackle poverty and inequality are needed to address these disparities in higher education. In addition, we
recommend a voucher system to support lower-income students.
transform the education landscape to suit the multiparty
democratic political dispensation. The country has
taken giant steps towards addressing the challenges that
exposed it in its entrance to the international education
fraternity. Isolated from the world and insulated within
its borders due to embargoes and disinvestment in the
pre-1994 era, the post-1994 period marked the era of
putting together policies and legislation, firstly to erase
apartheid policies and legislation, and secondly to replace
them with policies and legislation that were deemed
to be pro-democratic in their emphasis on dealing with
issues of access to education and eradication of past
inequities.
recognised that TPD is a key mechanism for improving classroom instruction and student achievement. Despite the
fact that much has been written about TPD, there exist gaps in many contemporary texts on TPD – failure to see
(TPD) as a discourse, power and reflexive practice. Drawing on Foucault and Freire’s works, this article among other,
captures the insights on TPD, argues teacher professional development as power, reflexive practice and a discourse.
the opportunity to amalgamate traditional African values and liberal democratic values to fashion a philosophy of education that is liberal while rooted in African cultures and also responsive to globalization and cosmopolitanism.
projections that were made in 1994. How, for instance, should the country's progress be measured? Should achieving access to education at all levels be an ideal yardstick for
measuring the impact of our post-apartheid education transformation initiatives? Are standardised tests a reliable measure of questions about the country's democratic benchmarks? What about the quality of education?
Can we comfortably say that our schools are producing the kind of learners that the WPET called for in 1995?
in South Africa is a contradiction. South Africa is a liberal democracy whose constitution recognizes the institution
of traditional leadership, or ‘chieftaincy’. Japan is a good example of a non-Western liberal democracy that has
successfully imported and indigenized aspects of Western liberalism to suit its local imperatives. South Africa has
the opportunity to amalgamate traditional African values and liberal democratic values to fashion a philosophy of
education that is liberal while rooted in African cultures and also responsive to globalization and cosmopolitanism.
inequalities, with the graduation rate for white students more than double that of black students. Black students are generally
under-represented at universities, a demographic reality that promises to reproduce racial inequalities well into the future.
Broader steps to tackle poverty and inequality are needed to address these disparities in higher education. In addition, we
recommend a voucher system to support lower-income students.
transform the education landscape to suit the multiparty
democratic political dispensation. The country has
taken giant steps towards addressing the challenges that
exposed it in its entrance to the international education
fraternity. Isolated from the world and insulated within
its borders due to embargoes and disinvestment in the
pre-1994 era, the post-1994 period marked the era of
putting together policies and legislation, firstly to erase
apartheid policies and legislation, and secondly to replace
them with policies and legislation that were deemed
to be pro-democratic in their emphasis on dealing with
issues of access to education and eradication of past
inequities.
recognised that TPD is a key mechanism for improving classroom instruction and student achievement. Despite the
fact that much has been written about TPD, there exist gaps in many contemporary texts on TPD – failure to see
(TPD) as a discourse, power and reflexive practice. Drawing on Foucault and Freire’s works, this article among other,
captures the insights on TPD, argues teacher professional development as power, reflexive practice and a discourse.
the opportunity to amalgamate traditional African values and liberal democratic values to fashion a philosophy of education that is liberal while rooted in African cultures and also responsive to globalization and cosmopolitanism.