ABSTRACT
Since the end of apartheid in 1994, South Africa's first democratic government, led by the African National Congress (ANC), with the Democratic Alliance (DA) in opposition, has been committed to social, economic and political transformation. The Bill of Rights and the new Constitution in South Africa promise citizenship rights to all South Africans, regardless of race, gender or religion, and commit the government to ensure equity and redress in society. Education has been a key area of the transformation agenda. Section 9(1)(a) of the South African constitution expresses a universal right to basic education, defined as including “the full and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedomh” (Republic of South Africa, 1996). Various education policies including the National Education Policy Act, the South African Schools Act, the Higher Education Act, Education White Paper 6 on Inclusive Education and Curriculum 2005 (Chisholm, 2003) have given expression to the commitment to full rights and social justice. Yet, alomost 20 year later, questions remain about the extent to which the ending of apartheid has not resulted in greater equity for those marginalized and disadvantaged during the apartheid era. Drawing on a review of education policy changes since 1994 (Sayed, Kanjee & Nkomo, forthcoming), this chapter specifically asks whether the changes have resulted in greater equity, redress and social justice in education. This chapter uses the case study of South African education policy change to understand how changes to education governance relate to neo-liberal approaches to education change currently in vogue globally.
