Department of Education Policy Studies

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Browsing Department of Education Policy Studies by Subject "Access to education"

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    Wie maak die keuse? Die aard van skoolkeuse in 'n bolandse dorp.
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-12) Louw, Jacques; Davids, Nuraan; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT : School choice is regarded as the right of every person in South Africa, but there are mechanisms that are used to determine how learners access schools. This study was about the nature of school choice in a Boland town. The methodology that was followed in this study was qualitative in nature within an interpretive paradigm. Using a focus group discussion and semi-structured interviews, the context of two parents’ school choices was examined. Semi-structured interviews were also used to gain the different schools perspective on how admissions are implemented. Policies that influence school choice were also examined using document analysis. Some of the policies that were examined were the South African Constitution, the South African Schools Act of 1996, amendments to the South African Schools Act of 1996 and the admission policies of the two schools used in the study. The theoretical lens that was used in this study was that of Bourdieu’s reproduction theory. The focus was placed on Bourdieu’s concepts ‘field’, ‘habitus’ and ‘capital’. This study found that middle-class parents are advantaged when making school choices, and these parents are also more likely than working-class parents to get their first choice in schools. In terms of the South African Schools Act of 1996, the School Governing Body is responsible for the design of a number of policies, including the admissions policy. In terms of the Act, as well as the South African Constitution, every learner needs to be afforded equal opportunities, which means that the admission policy of a school cannot unfairly discriminate against any learner. However, among the key findings of this study, it was found that parents invest in their children’s education by gaining access to the best schools they have the ability to access. Parents have different factors that they deem as important when making school choice and use these factors in determining a school for their children. Further findings in this study determined that schools accept learners according to the schools admission policies, and schools that receive more applicants can compare the learner’s according to the schools admission criteria so that the schools only accept the best suited candidates for the school. It was also found that quality education is difficult to be defined, and parents would like to gain access to schools that offers quality education. Schools on the other hand, does not attribute quality education to the admission of learners, but rather to the discipline at the school, the academically performance of the school, the processes the school use to ensure quality education and use the amount of applicants as an indication of how the schools is preforming.