Abstract
The Parliament of the Republic of South Africa plays a pivotal role in promoting active citizenship to ensure the deepening of democracy. This article, as based on the study by Arendse, explored the extent to which Parliament as a key participatory institution promotes active citizenship in relation to the Grade 11 Life Orientation (LO) curriculum in South Africa. A qualitative, interpretive approach was employed. However, data were gathered through the crystallisation approach using different methods of gathering data such as document study, questionnaires and focus group interviews, which involved 461 Grade 12 LO learners who had completed the Grade 11 LO curriculum during 2012 and seven LO educators. The findings suggest that there is: (1) lack of exposure, knowledge and understanding about Parliament; (2) lack of public education programmes and initiatives about Parliament; and (3) limited information about Parliament in the LO curriculum.
Highlights
This article focuses on the extent to which Parliament as a key participatory institution promotes active citizenship in relation to the Life Orientation (LO) curriculum
The results of the data presented below reflect the views and perceptions of the participants, including the documents studied, as these relate to the way in which Parliament promotes active citizenship and how these views feature in the curriculum
In light of the findings suggesting that there is a lack of understanding and knowledge about Parliament, it is imperative to increase the level of awareness and education about Parliament as a key participatory institution
Summary
This article focuses on the extent to which Parliament as a key participatory institution promotes active citizenship in relation to the Life Orientation (LO) curriculum. South Africa has undergone radical transformation from an apartheid system to a democracy, and new policies and mechanisms were put in place to address the inequalities of the past (Smith & Arendse 2016). As one of the arms of State, Parliament is regarded as one of the key participatory institutions to promote active citizenship in a democracy. In response to radical transformation from apartheid to democracy, the Education Department initiated curriculum changes to embrace the notion of a democratic South Africa. The curriculum aims to equip learners with the necessary knowledge, values and skills in order to promote active citizenship in a democracy (Department of Basic Education [DBE] 2010:4)
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