Towards a Theory of National Consciousness: Values and Beliefs in Education as a Contribution to ‘Cultural Capital’ in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Abstract

This article is a by-product of research carried out on the interface between African isiZulu-speaking primary school learners and mainly English-speaking teachers of Indian origin. This took place in six schools in Indian-dominated residential areas, situated in five suburbs of Durban, South Africa. It is an attempt to create a theoretical framework out of two issues: ethnographic data from fieldwork with teachers in schools in the city of Durban, and the current reality of South Africa's political transformation. After the preliminary data was gathered on learner–teacher language communication for another project, it begged for further observations and interviews to be carried out. Teachers were asked to respond to three questions relating to awareness and consciousness on national issues that have had an impact on their situations in their classrooms. After a brief discussion on the historical and contemporary issues pertaining to South Africa, the article focuses on three issues that are intrinsic to the need for a theoretical framework to inform, inspire, and capacitate teachers in their roles as educators: outcomes-based education as it appears in the Revised National Curriculum Statement of 2002, cultural capital, and national consciousness. Analysis of the ethnographic data that appears in tabulated form in this article reveals serious complexities and the need to ensure an inter-connection of these three issues in order to achieve such a result – but which, it concludes, is only achievable within an ideological framework that converges with national economic goals.