ABSTRACT
A flourishing democratic society acknowledges the rights of all previously marginalised individuals and communities as full members of society and requires the recognition of diversity as reflected in the attitudes of its citizens and the nature of its institutions (Green, 2001). The past twelve years have witnessed the establishment of a democratic society with human dignity, freedom and equality entrenched in its Constitution after decades of apartheid in South Africa. There has been enormous pressure on all South Africans to focus on the future and to rejoice in the birth of a democratic society. However, the strong thrust towards reconciliation and social transformation has, in many everyday contexts, created ambivalence about recognising the impact of the past and its legacy in still-existing attitudes and inequities (Gibson, 2002). This has impacted not only on society in general but also on education and the role of psychologists within education. South Africans still find themselves in a society where apartheid policies have left a legacy of severe disparities and where the circumstances in which the majority of families live impact negatively on their capacity to create a meaningful future for their children (Biersteker and Robinson, 2000). The result has been that although inclusive education has been promoted as the educational strategy most likely to contribute to a democratic and just society (Engelbrecht, 1999), the implementation of inclusive education still remains a challenge in most schools (Engelbrecht and Oswald, 2005). Within these complex contextual influences that have shaped, and continue to shape the transformation of society in South Africa, educational psychologists have been challenged to critically review their roles and professional identities in order to play a meaningful role within a transformed society.
