A Historical-Educational Investigation into the Decision To Remove Religious Education from Public Schools in South Africa

Abstract

This article aims at providing an answer to the question whether the government’s removal of religious education from the public schools of South Africa can be justified from a historical-educational perspective. In order to answer this question, a historical-educational investigation, based on the historical-educational method, was undertaken concerning relevant information pertaining to three foci: formal South African education during early colonial days, nineteenth century education at the Cape and the philosophy of Christian National Education. The latter is interrogated in terms of its meaning and aims, its support of the religious-political ideas of Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) and its ties with the Afrikaner Broederbond (“Afrikaner Brotherhood”). This article concludes that the decision to remove religious education which featured in subjects from public schools was justified. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n20p1613