From Exclusion to Inclusion: Racial Politics and South African Educational Reform

Abstract

Research in South African schools reveals that racially segregated education established under apartheid is being dismantled. Most current change impacts formerly white schools and private schools; African and rural schools lag behind. A series of blocking factors are obstacles to participation in democratic rebuilding. Some demand extraordinary measures to eliminate historical inequities; others will be counteracted by official reforms complemented by local community initiatives. Progressive schools demonstrate the power of grassroots reform in eradicating apartheid.