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QUESTION 1

The Influence the Apartheid System had on the South African curriculum
and how this had a socially destructive impact on society.

Robin O’Shaughnessy BA4

A curriculum is the backbone for any educational system. It shapes students'

perspectives, values, and contributes to society in addition to what they learn.
Curriculums have multiple components, ideas that go beyond lesson plans and
textbooks that include rules and social norms that form the foundation of educational
experiences. In many cases, curriculums provide organisation and consistency to
learning, however there have been some cases where this structured system has
had negative effects. In this essay I will be discussing how a designed curriculum
had a socially destructive impact and how this influenced social and economic
inequalities.

The goal of a curriculum is to highlight and assess the intended learning outcomes of
a given course through the use of teaching methods, learning activities, and student
assessments. This type of structure creates the framework that sets the expectations
for the students' learning. It provides a structured and organised plan for educational
purposes such as creating lesson plans and choosing specific content to cover in a
subject. Additionally, it is also a guide for teachers as it can determine the standards
for the students' performance (“Definitions of Curriculum”, University of Delaware).

A major factor that must be considered in a curriculum is its ability to be inclusive.

Schools can offer a child their initial exposure to communication. It is important in the
development of social relationships to communicate respectfully to people from
different cultures. Diversity in the classroom is essential as it is important to create a
pleasant and inclusive environment (Open Society Foundation, 2019). An inclusive
and diverse environment ensures every learner feels valued and represented, an
example of this could be a group of students from different backgrounds working on
a group project together (MSU Denver, 2022).

The absence of an inclusive curriculum could have a number of negative effects. A

failure to provide this type of curriculum can result in discrimination and the
reinforcing of biases and stereotypes. An example of this is Apartheid Era in 1948
that took place in South Africa. The term "apartheid" meaning “apartness” which
describes the creation and the continuous operation of a system of legally authorised
racial segregation in which members of one racial group are denied civil and political
rights. Once the National Party started ruling South Africa in 1948, they very quickly
implemented existing discriminatory policies which affected many aspects of society.

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The government enforced new protocols for instance the separating of communities
solely based on the person's race or ethnicity (“Apartheid”, History, 2010-2023).

Under Apartheid, the vast majority of the non white population in South Africa were
divided from white communities in almost all ways. The non white population were
ordered to live in separate areas and use other public facilities. Because of this,
communication between both races were limited, eventually leading to marriages
between white people and people of other races being declared illegal by the
government (“Apartheid”, History, 2010-2023). In the 1950’s, four racial groups were
created in order to create separate facilities for these communities. These
communities had their own residential areas, schools and public establishments. The
racial groups were classified as Black, Indian, Coloured (non-whites) and Whites
(African Union).

This separation prevented genuine interactions between people from different racial
backgrounds, which led to the growth of preconceptions and stereotypes (Adhikari,
M. , 2006). Most of the black and coloured communities were given negative
stereotypes, such as dangerous and some even criminals (Sonday, A. , and Peters,
S. , 2021). Apartheid was built on the idea of racial superiority, with white individuals
stereotyped as superior to other racial groups. Because of this, coloured people
were not allowed to vote or have any say in how the country was run, leaving them
to only work for the white communities. This had a huge impact on South Africa's
“social dynamic” and how society interacted with each other (African Union).

Another order that was introduced by the National Party was to segregate people
and job opportunities based on their racial classification. Opportunities for work were
distinct and reflected the racial hierarchy that was created by the Apartheid system.
This system implied that no white person should be overseen or directed by a black
person at work. This had the effect of ensuring black labourers' status to anyone who
was white in order to cast them aside as inferior workers in the workplace.
(O’Malley, The Heart of Hope). Many members of the white communities had more
authoritative roles such as managerial positions and also were more skilled in
professions such as engineering and technology. However the coloured communities
were frequently forced into manual labour in sectors such as construction,
agriculture, and semi-skilled positions like domestic labour. These jobs often offered
lower wages and less chances for career growth.

This example of occupational segregation is a result of the education system that

was implemented by the Apartheid System. According to Walter Eugene Morrow’s
essay titled, ‘Aims of Education in South Africa’, “It was illegal for a person to attend
a state school designated for a ‘population group.” The core beliefs of Apartheid
were defined as the structure for education as these major principles were
introduced to students from a very young age. The South African curriculum was

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very distinctive and different for each of the racial groups, displaying another case of
inequalities between the four schooling systems in South Africa (Morrow, W. 1990).

Students from coloured neighbourhoods access to education was restricted by the

Bantu Education Act of 1952, which also ensured their continued status as members
of the working class. These students could stay in school until the age of thirteen,
however students from the white communities had the opportunity to continue their
education until the age of sixteen. Because the school curriculum was reduced,
students of colour received less education, meaning they had less opportunities
when leaving school.

Another major difference between these curriculums was the content that was
covered in schools. Students in white communities were taught content that
supported and promoted the apartheid beliefs which justified racial segregation.
They had access to additional subjects and a wider choice of specialties, ultimately
preparing them for higher education and professional careers. On the other hand,
students of colour were taught limited content that would prepare students for
low-skilled jobs rather than higher education. However, just like white communities,
this curriculum frequently overlooked the accomplishments of communities of colour
and contributed to societal injustices (Ocampo, M , 2004).

Additionally, the Bantu Education Act of 1952 also created separate Departments of
Education by race. It provided the majority of funding to White schools and less to
coloured schools which was another example of the inequality in the education
system (Ocampo, M , 2004). This applied to all aspects of the schools including
teacher qualifications. Only 15% of teachers in coloured schools had a teaching
certification, compared to 96% of teachers in white institutions. In addition, buildings,
facilities, stationery and textbooks were also limited in coloured schools (Morrow, W.
1990).

In my personal opinion, this divided curriculum was the foundation of most of the
social and economical inequalities in South Africa which has profound and lasting
effects. This deliberate design of the educational system that was created by
Apartheid, served to uphold the social and economic hierarchy that favoured the
white minority, as well as to maintain biases and racial segregation. Children were
taught these prejudicial beliefs from a very young age and because of this, it was
extremely difficult for any changes to be made. But as these racial groups began to
become more internally resistant, it caused the destruction within these communities
and societies.

The coloured communities resisted Apartheid rules from the very beginning however
it took many decades of activism and international pressure to finally demolish this
system that had been running the country for almost 50 years. Nelson Mandela, a
leading figure in the struggle against apartheid, was released from prison in 1990

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which paved the way for political reform. He played a key role in negotiations to end
apartheid and establish a democratic, non-racial government. In April of 1994,
Nelson Mandela was elected for the Presidency which was a major event in South
Africa's political history. After all the struggles, his presidency symbolised the
rebuilding of society as Mandella was not only an anti-apartheid activist but also the
first black head of state (Little, B. , 2023).

Many developments in education have taken place since the apartheid era in an
attempt to eliminate inequalities in education. Integration was introduced in the
educational system so all students had the same opportunities to climb the corporate
ladder. The government is still continuing to work towards providing more equitable
funding for schools and the curriculum has been modified to provide a wider range of
inclusive and diverse historical, literary, and cultural viewpoints. Since 1994, the
Government of National Unity has issued several curriculum-related reforms to
continue to eliminate inequalities however to this day (Jansen, 1995).

In conclusion, I believe that inclusivity is a key factor in a curriculum and is the

foundation of fostering a diverse educational environment. Embracing an inclusive
mindset is essential to ensuring that all students have equal access to educational
opportunities and that they have the same chance to achieve their academic goals.
Any student, regardless of their background, race and socioeconomic status should
be given the right resources and tools to reach their full potential.

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 Bibliography

1. University of Delaware “Definitions of Curriculum.”

Available at:
https://www1.udel.edu/educ/whitson/897s05/files/definitions_of_curriculum.htm

2. Open Society Foundation (2019) : “Value of Inclusive Education”

Available at:
https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/explainers/value-inclusive-education#
:~:text=Inclusive%20systems%20provide%20a%20better,of%20social%20relati
onships%20and%20interactions.

3. Metropolitan State University of Denver (2022) : “Why Inclusive Practices

are Essential in Education.”
Available at:
https://www.msudenver.edu/why-inclusive-practices-are-essential-in-education
/#:~:text=Inclusive%20educational%20systems%20understand%20the,works%
20to%20remove%20those%20barriers.

4. History (2010-2023) : “Apartheid”

Available at: https://www.history.com/topics/africa/apartheid

5. African Union: “AUHRM Project Focus Area: The Apartheid”

Available at: https://au.int/auhrm-project-focus-area-apartheid

6. Adhikari, M. (2006) : “God made the White Man, God made the Black
Man…Popular Racial Stereotypes of Coloured People in Apartheid South
Africa.”
Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02582470609464935

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 7. Sonday, A. , and Peters, S. (2021) : “Coloured” Men are more violent
stereotypes.”
Available at:
https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2021-07-20-coloured-men-are-more-than-a-v
iolent-stereotype-1

8. O’Malley, The Heart of Hope : “The Racial Workplace”

Available at:
https://omalley.nelsonmandela.org/index.php/site/q/03lv02167/04lv02264/05lv02
303/06lv02317/07lv02318/08lv02321.htm

9. Morrow, W. (1990) : ‘Aims of Education in South Africa.’

Available at:
https://newlearningonline.com/new-learning/chapter-5/supproting-materials/ap
artheid-education

10. Ocampo, M. (2004) : “A Brief History of Educational Inequality from Apartheid

to the Present.”
Available at:
https://web.stanford.edu/~jbaugh/saw/Lizet_Education_Inequity.html

11. Little, B. (2023) : “Key Steps That Led to End of Apartheid”

Available at: https://www.history.com/news/end-apartheid-steps

12. Jasen (1995) : “The school curriculum since apartheid: intersections of politics
and policy in the South African transition.”
Available at:
https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/131/Jansen%20%281999%29a.pdf?s
equence=4&isAllowed=y