SOUTH AFRICA’S CULTURAL INFLUENCE ON EDUCATION

Melissa BlazejakMasters of Educational Technology

Introduction

South Africa had been a democratic republic for 300 years, finally ending in 1994

Over the last two decades, South Africa has struggled to shed the apartheid views and white domination it has previously suffered under

Now, due to the democratic language policies, there is a struggle with language in education

“By the early 2000s, language (and language usage in education) policies had failed to erase patterns of language domination and inequality “ (Napier, 2011)

History

British and Dutch settlers established colonies in South Africa around 1652

They starting mining for gold and diamonds and quickly realized the importance of the land

The British fought the Dutch for the land in the Boer war and defeated them

Once the land was theirs, they started the National Party and apartheid, a white government that separated the development of other races

Apartheid ended in 1994 and a republic was created

Geography Located at the southern tip of the

African continent It is roughly less than twice the

size of Texas Narrow coastal zone and an

extensive interior plateau with altitudes ranging from 3,000-6,000 ft above sea level

The climate is semiarid and sunny during the day and cool at night

Average temperatures range from 60-68 degrees Fahrenheit

Average rainfall in South Africa is “less than 5 in. along the west coast to 40 in. or more in the east

Natural resources include gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt and natural gas

www.commonwealth.org

People & Society

The total population of South Africa is 48,810,427

79% of the people that make up South Africa are black, while the remaining percent are Caucasian or Indian/Asian

IsiZulu is the most common language spoken 8% of the population speak English 36% of the population are Protestant Average age of the country is 25 years old Low life expectancy due to AIDS

Government

The chief of state and head of government are held by the same person; President Jacob Zuma

The president can appoint anyone he chooses to the cabinet

The legislative branch is a bicameral Parliament The Parliament has powers to protect regional

interests, including the safeguarding of cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities

The court systems are very similar to the United States; they include the Supreme Court of appeals and the High Courts, which mimic our Supreme Court

Economy

South Africa’s economy is struggling just as much as the United States

The biggest industries (gold & diamonds) do not make as much money as they once did

50% of the population is below the poverty line 25% of the population is unemployed South Africa produces corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits,

vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products The industry includes mining (world's largest producer

of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair

Communication

Communication among South African residents is by far the best developed in the continent

4 million people have main phone lines 50 million cell phones inhabit the country 4 million internet users South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)

operates 4 TV stations  SABC radio network, operates 18 stations, one

for each of the 11 official languages, 4 community stations, and 3 commercial stations; more than 100 community-based stations extend coverage to rural areas

Transportation

567 total airports, 422 with unpaved runways

Trains and roads are vast making up 20,192 km & 362,099 km, respectively

Public transportation is quite unique because they offer minibus taxis and regular buses

Merchant marines deliver oil to the main ports: Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha Bay

Military

Military branches include South African National Defense Force (SANDF): South African Army, South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force (SAAF), Joint Operations Command, Military Intelligence, South African Military Health Services

18 years old to serve at least a two year term

Women can serve in noncombat roles

Transnational Issues

Highest reported homicide rates in the world

Rates of murder were estimated to be 33.3 cases per 100,000 population, rape 38.5 cases per 100,000 and housebreaking 493.9 cases per 100,000” (Parry, Pluddemann, Louw & Leggett, 2004)

Most prevalent type of drug is marijuana followed by methaqualone (Mandrax), which is usually imported illegally from India

Projects helping schools - Education Africa

Education Africa is a non-profit organization that strives to educate the poorest of the poor

This project aims to ensure that the poor are in a position to become global citizens and a competitive, productive element in the local job market

The main goal is to make all of South Africa educated, which will lead to a progressive nation that will help sustain economic growth

Projects helping schools –Education Rights Project

The Education Rights Project (ERP) provides free, public and quality education to South Africans, even adults

ERP assists individuals and communities to assert and realize their right to basic education

ERP’s work combines progressive scholarship and activism by linking directly with communities and civil society organisations

Projects helping schools – South African Education and Environment

Project

South African Education and Environment Project (SAEP) serves children, youth and education providers in Cape Town's impoverished townships through academic, enrichment and personal development programs

SAEP aims to expand horizons, build confidence, empower & inspire the communities we serve through a range of programs at the early childhood, high school, post-matric and tertiary levels

Projects helping schools – Project Literacy

Project Literacy aims to provide adult basic education and training programs to disadvantaged adults

They work with individuals, communities, industry and government

Project Literacy helps adults take control of their everyday lives through activities like banking, filling in forms, reading work instructions and voting

Predictions about South Africa’s Education

I believe that South Africa will one day achieve their goal of becoming a player in the world market

This will be done through the numerous education projects the country has to offer

There are 4.7 million adults in South Africa who never went to school and are totally illiterate. A further 4.9 million adults are functionally illiterate (as they left school before grade 7)

Predictions (cont.)

With the help of Education Africa, the Educational Rights Project, South African Education and Environment Project and Project Literacy the entire nation will soon one day all be literate and all feel comfortable doing everyday things like balancing a checkbook and ordering from a menu

Predictions about South Africa – In General

I believe that with the education aspect aside, South Africa still has a lot of work to do to undo the damage that the apartheid government has done.

Once this tragedy has been put behind them, South Africa may become a leading country in exports, surpassing the United States and China.

Also, once the world economy picks up, so will South Africa’s own economy. Their main export is diamonds and gold, which is something only rich people can afford. When the whole world has money, they will start spending it on pricey things.

Bibliography

Background on South Africa. (1985). Department of State Bulletin, 85, 8+. Retrieved from http://0-go.galegroup.com.www.consuls.org/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA3956326&v=2.1&u=a30ec&it=r&p=ITOF&sw=w

Binns, T., & Nel, E. (2002). Devolving development: Integrated development planning and developmental local government in post-apartheid South Africa. Regional Studies, 36(8), 921- 945.

Education africa. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.educationafrica.com/ Education rights project. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.erp.org.za/ Kyem, P. (2012). Is ICT the panacea to sub-saharan Africa’s development

problems? Rethinking Africa’s contentious engagement with the global information society. Progress in Development Studies, 12(2-3), 231–244.

Lafon, M. (2009). The impact of language on educational access in South Africa. (Vol. 24). Falmer, Brighton: CREATE.

Nel, E. (2000). Local economic development: A review and assessment of its current status in South Africa. Urban Studies, 38(7), 1003-1024.

Bibliography (cont.)

Parry, C., Pluddenmann, A., Louw, A., & Leggett, T. (2004). The 3-metros study of drugs and crime in South Africa: Findings and policy implications. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse ,30(1), 167-185.

Project literacy. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.projectliteracy.org.za/ Public transport in South Africa: Road and rail. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://myfundi.co.za/e/Public_transport_in_South_Africa:_Road_and_rail Shain, M. (2011). Jewish cultures, identities and contingencies: reflections from

the South African experience. European Review of History—Revue europe´enne d’histoire, 18(1), 89-100.

Smith, I. R. (1984). The Boer War. History Today, May, 46-49. South african education and environment project. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.saep.org/ South africa. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.thecommonwealth.org/YearbookHomeInternal/139444/ The World Factbook: South Africa. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://

www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html