Philosophy for children in South African schools: its role for citizens-in-waiting

Thokozani Mathebula

doi:10.4102/sajce.v1i2.89

Abstract

Historically, the concept ‘child’ has a Lockean (1960)connotation, as empty slates new born infants, are considered weak and helpless, until the improvement of growth and age has removed this deficient state of childhood. In modern societies, including South Africa, children are still viewed as citizens-in-waiting, and as citizens who need to be inducted into their future role. This deficit model of childhood is reflected in the construction of democratic citizenship education in post-apartheid South Africa. In this article we present a theoretical justification for Philosophy for Children (P4C) as an avenue to individual enlightenment i.e., education that entails the development of a child’s mind, of rationality or the capacity to think. In the light of a Philosophy for Children agenda as an educational pedagogy, we argue that doing philosophy with children starting from an early age has a special significance in education for democratic citizenship in post-apartheid South Africa.

Highlights

There can be no [...] liberty without virtue, no virtue without citizens; create citizens, and you have everything you need; without them you have nothing but debased slaves, from the rulers of the State downwards
The deliberation process approved by participatory democracy prepares a common ground for different individuals with different interests, aptitudes and persuasions, it challenges the world and searches for meaning for the betterment of human life. In both well-established and newly formed democracies, there is a need for children to experience the educational benefits of deliberative democracy as part of democratic citizenship education in South African schools
We attempt to make the case that through participation in a philosophical community of inquiry, South African children are familiarised with the deliberation process, we argue that a proactive component needs to be added to it

Summary

Introduction

There can be no [...] liberty without virtue, no virtue without citizens; create citizens, and you have everything you need; without them you have nothing but debased slaves, from the rulers of the State downwards. Infringing upon a child’s growth and development i.e., the mind, rationality or the capacity to think; and creating communities of enquiry – ‘free public spaces’ where deliberators are moral and political equal agents On this basis, we make the assertion that the principal concern of education, and by implication Education for Democratic Citizenship in South African schools, should be the development of the mind, i.e. the capacity of children to think, reason and act by themselves. That the mere recitation of the Pledge’s words undermines the central focus of doing philosophy with children, that is, improving reasoning ability, developing creativity and augmenting critical thinking among children He does not write about the South African pledge, the School Pledge infringement with individual autonomy is succinctly evoked by Gatto (1993) when he writes: Our system of government school destroys both mind and character. The question is: what can the philosophical community of children as inquirers contribute in fostering democratic principles in the classroom and in South African society at large?

Values and corresponding behaviours of the community of inquiry

Conclusion