South Africa: Education and Social Change (Summer)

Key Features

Develop a better understanding and appreciation of education policy and the role of education in South Africa’s development.

Classroom lectures and discussions will be combined with field study assignments, as well as visits to schools, NGOs, local communities, and government offices. Educational excursions and regular processing sessions will give students multisided and holistic exposure to and consideration of education issues in South Africa.

Because the coursework in this program is based on an experiential education model in which students learn by doing, program participants are exposed to a variety of perspectives and realities. Students travel often, meet local education professionals, students, and families, and broaden their theoretical knowledge.

Lectures, discussions, and workshops typically include the following topics:

South Africa’s political system
Crime in South Africa: Current status and future challenges
State of the nation: Where is South Africa headed—development or decline?
Education in South Africa: Historical legacy and contemporary challenges
Education and development
Educational issues in urban and rural areas
Education, gender, and sexuality in South African education
The “demise” of Outcomes-Based Education
Multicultural education
Non-Formal Education (ABET) and Further Education and Training (FET)
HIV/AIDS education, life-skills training, and the Love Life Project
Skills development and human resource training
The transformation of tertiary education
Field study methods in education
Introduction to Zulu language and culture

Education Practicum: Integrating Theory and Practice
Students have many opportunities to observe the education system while in this program. During the education practicum, students are encouraged to integrate theory and practice and to develop the field skills needed to analyze what they observe. Students typically have the chance to spend time at primary schools, secondary schools, and adult formal and informal educational institutions, as well as other sites, such as NGO and government offices.

One such site visit is to a government nerve center, where students can observe the complex nature of government management of education in the province of KwaZulu Natal.