Department of Education Policy Studies

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Browsing Department of Education Policy Studies by Author "Adendorff, Michelle, N."

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    Sekondere skole se hantering van leerders wat dwelms misbruik
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2016-03) Adendorff, Michelle, N.; Fataar, Aslam; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT : In the previous dispensation, education in South Africa was linked to politics and the oppression of apartheid was clearly visible in schools. Following apartheid, more powers were devolved from government to schools so that principals, governing bodies and school management teams could introduce the post-apartheid laws and policies on school management into schools through their actions. With policies to guide them, it was hoped that they would apply the laws effectively and achieve the desired outcome. One such act supported by many policy regulations, is the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996, which was promulgated to protect the rights of all learners, teachers, parent’s and the community at large. Amongst other things, the Schools Act and associated regulations laid down certain guidelines for the handling of drug abuse amongst learners. The policy guidelines on drug abuse support abstinence from drugs and the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. The school plays a very important part in firstly preventing drug abuse amongst learners and secondly, implementing appropriate interventions where drug abuse already occurs. In addition, if the professional services outside the school collaborate closely with the internal structeres of the school, and their respective functions are well coordinated, learners who have fallen into trap of drug abuse can be rescued. However, everything depends on how these policy guidelines are interpreted and implemented. From interactions with schools, school manangement teams and school governing bodies, it would appear that the policy on drug abuse in schools is interpreted in various ways and inconsistently implemented, often at the expense of the drug-dependent learner’s school education and futher learning opportunities. Therefore, this research firstly hypothesis that educators and other school stakeholders are inadequately equiped to correctly deal with drug-dependent learners and secondly, that the policy on drug abuse in schools is often inconsistenly applied due to a gap between the Department’s policy intentions and the practical reality within which the policy needs to applied. From the inquiry to test these two hypotheses, it will also be established whether the increased devolution of powers to schools provided for in laws and policies, including increased power to combat the drug problem in schools, is being realised in practice and has the deired effect.