Schools in South Africa became more diverse with the emergence of democratic rule in 1994. Multicultural education was introduced as a strategy to bring various ethnic groups together and to grant them a platform where they could share their beliefs and cultural experiences towards a better understanding of each other and for the betterment of their country support. Sadly, the goal of uniting and sharing cultural beliefs is still a problem in South Africa as it remains one of the more racially and ethnically divided nations in the world. However, little has been written about the various factors hampering the implementation of multicultural education in schools. This chapter aims to explore and contribute to debates on multicultural education as a tool for social cohesion and identify the various barriers to the effective implementation of multicultural education.
TopIntroduction And Background
Historically, prior to 1994, South Africa’s social and political landscape was shaped by the hegemonic colonial and apartheid policies (Atheiomolam, & Vermaak, 2020). This development had negative impacts on the education of learner’s country-wide since separatism was a consistent feature. (Lemmer et al., 2012). The first democratic government in 1994 therefore inherited a country that was separated racially, with a population that was spread according to ethnic background. According to research there were four independent homelands (states), which were the Republic of Transkei and Ciskei that were inhabited by the Xhosa-speaking people, Republic of Venda today still occupied by Venda-speaking people, and the Republic of Bophuthatswana for the Tswana-speaking people. However, other homeland territories were not republics, these being Gazankulu for the Tsonga, Lebowa inhabited by the Pedis (Northern Sotho), Kwa-Ndebele inhabited by Ndebele-speaking people, Ka-Ngwane where the Swazis lived, Kwazulu for Zulu-speaking people and Qwaqwa for the Southern Sotho (Mashau,2012).
Further, division was inflicted by the introduction of the Group Areas Act No 41 of 1950 which was designed to separate all ethnic groups and cultures. Coloureds, Blacks and Indians were moved from areas classified for White occupation. Before and during apartheid schools were strictly segregated according to race. Learners were made to attend school based on various population groups such as Blacks, Whites, Colored’s and Indians. In addition, various education laws were stipulated and were geared at creating a schooling system which was based on racial, ethnic and geographical separation, such as the Bantu Education Act of 1953, the Indian Persons Education Act of 1965, the National Education Policy Act of 1967 and Colored Persons Act of 1963, which outlined the objectives and guiding principles for the provision of education according to race, namely education for Blacks, Indians, Colored’s and Whites (Mpisi, 2010; Alexander, 2014; 2016). In this regard, Christie and Collins (1984) explain that schooling during the apartheid era favored the white people’s interests since it ensured that white people received education which would help them secure managerial and leadership status on the economic, political, and social spheres, while black people received education that would prepare them to serve their masters or to produce manual work laborer’ s and to obey orders and occupy semi-skilled, interiorized positions. Mthembu (2001) concurs that, during the period of apartheid, schools were not seen as centers of diversity, since schools only promoted one culture “white people”, resulting in the education of blacks to be in crisis. Education for the whites were free and compulsory whereas black education was not, black parents were made to pay for their children. In addition, there was very limited financial support from the government for black education (Sethlako, 1997).