| Summary: | Thesis (DTech (Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2009 === The phenomena of multi - grade schools has been absent both in educational policy making,
educator training and only represented in a few local educational curriculum research
projects. However, the practice of multi-grade is common in South Africa and especially in
rural and farming South Africa. Our National Curriculum Statements implies that all schools
are the same. This study addresses this anomaly.
Farm schools, which started as a political means of cheap labour (Act 47 of 1953) presented
a further complication to the ministry: public schools on private property govern by section 14
contract failed farm education (Forgotten Schools, 2004; Ministerial report on rural
education, 2005; Commission on Human Rights, 2006). The political and ideological shift
from People's Education, which, at first envision human rights in line with international
treaties such Education For All, Convention on the right of the child, Africa Charter on
the Rights of the Child to Human Capital Development has marginalize the farm and rural
learner.
Curriculum changes since Curriculum 2005 accepted the same political and economic vision.
The first world technical National Curriculum Statements mismatch farm education as
systemic results since 2004 has shown. The government’s deficit view and national
curriculum influence farm and rural teaching and learning negatively. This study focuses on
curriculum delivery (intended I implemented) planning. How the educator adapted the
curriculum to suit the needs of third world farm learner, its multi-grade context and the
ideology of the hegemony. The qualitative paradigm will be that of the critical theory and
grounded theory methodology with the goal of uncovering the educators' views and practice.
This has been done by holding interviews with various foundation phase educators and
looking at the seating arrangements and planning. The sample was from the Breede River
District. A focus group of nineteen ACE students with 312 collective years experience has
been involved in the coding and analysing. Current practice and planning have been
juxtaposed with international multi-grade practice.
The research questions were aimed at uncovering how rural and farm educators plan for
their multi-grade classes when faces with a national mono-grade curriculum. Various
research methodologies were used.
|
|---|
