Transforming education in South Africa: comparative perceptions of a South African social work learning experience

Abstract

The state of tertiary education in South Africa is not adequately meeting the needs of its populace. The system in place does not effectively nor appropriately target the racial group of students which forms the democratic majority. This paper portrays the reasons why these students are not succeeding on the basis of a mismatch between their preparation at secondary level and their required or perceived level at a tertiary standard. This lack of responsiveness and adaptiveness shown by the pedagogical system to the effects of poverty and disadvantage on youth entering the tertiary system indicates a potential unintended bias towards students of higher socio-economic standing. This is demonstrated through a case example of social work students underperforming on a written assignment at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa. The article further contrasts the similarity and important differences between the American and the South African socio-educational contexts to illustrate the differences in approach needed within the South African example in order to examine American methods in dealing with similar problems when facing the integration and incorporation of students from differing backgrounds. It discusses the appropriateness of these methods in a South African context, as well as in the universal context of a local population.