Experiences of educators in dealing with racial integration in desegregated public primary schools in Gauteng east district

Abstract

Following the formal desegregation of schools since 1994, former White-only schools have since seen an influx of learners from previously disadvantaged communities, particularly those in Black townships. This situation presented anticipated challenges for educators who now had to teach racially mixed classes, a context which they had not been prepared for by their teacher-education institutions. In the process, both educators and school managers have since adopted various strategies and measures for responding to the needs of racially diverse learners. Against this background, this study was conducted with the purpose of probing the experiences of educators in dealing with racial integration in desegregated public primary schools specifically in the Gauteng East District. The researcher made use of Critical Race Theory as the main theoretical framework undergirding the study and also as a theoretical lens with which the experiences of educators would be probed. In accordance with the qualitative nature of the study, phenomenology was used as a suitable strategy for affording participants an opportunity to tell their experiences. The choice for the use of phenomenology was further supported by the fact that the study was located within the interpretive and social constructivism paradigms. In order to obtain data from reliable sources, a purposive sampling method was used to select the participants from all three schools. In the end, a total of 16 participants from the three identified former White schools took part in the study. Ten semi-structured virtual interviews were conducted with educators whilst six members of School Management Teams returned completed online questionnaires. From the analysis of data, the study revealed a worrisome lack of comprehensive understanding of what racial integration is amongst educators. This results in educators employing strategies such as contributionist, assimilation, and colour-blindness which all have proven to be very limited in bringing about genuine integration. Furthermore, educators also bemoaned a lack of support by the Department of Education in the form of providing capacity building programmes for either the School Governing Bodies or School Management Team members and by extension, educators are left without guidance in terms of dealing with race-related issues in classes. The study also revealed a number of challenges facing educators as they navigate their way in racially integrated classes. Overall, data showed positive relations amongst leaners and educators notwithstanding their racial differences.

Ka morao ho ho fediswa ha kgethollo ka molao dikolong ho tloha ka 1994, dikolo tsa pele tsa Makgowa feela di bone tshubuhlellano ya baithuti ba tswang ditjhabeng tse neng di sena menyetla ya dintho tse ding pele, haholo-holo tsa makeisheneng a batho ba batsho. Boemo bona bo ile ba hlahisa mathata a neng a lebelletswe ho matitjhere ao jwale a neng a tlameha ho ruta ditlelase tsa batho ba merabe e fapaneng, e leng boemo boo ditsi tsa bona tsa thupelo ya matitjhere di neng di sa ba lokisetsa bona. Nakong ena, matitjhere le batsamaisi ba dikolo ba se ba amohetse maano le mehato e fapaneng ya ho arabela ditlhoko tsa baithuti ba merabe e fapaneng. Boemong bona bo fanweng, phuputso ena e entswe ka sepheo sa ho lekola boiphihlelo ba matitjhere mabapi le ho sebetsana le ho kopana ha merabe dikolong tsa mathomo tsa setjhaba tseo ho tsona kgethollo e fedisitsweng ka ho kgetheha Seterekeng sa Gauteng e Botjhabela. Mofuputsi o sebedisitse Kgopolo-taba ya Bohlokwa ba Merabe jwalo ka moralo wa mantlha wa kgopolo-taba o thehileng phuputso hape jwalo ka lense ya kgopolo-taba eo ka yona boiphihlelo ba matitjhere bo tla hlahlojwa. Ho latela boleng ba phuputso, phuputso ya boleng e shebaneng le maphelo a phelwang hantle e ile ya sebediswa e le leano le loketseng ho fa bankakarolo monyetla wa ho bua ka boiphihlelo ba bona. Kgetho ya tshebediso ya phuputso ya boleng e shebaneng le maphelo a phelwang hantle e ile ya boela ya tshehetswa ke taba ya hore phuputso e ne e le kahara menahano ya boitlhaloso le ya phedisano. E le ho fumana data ho tswa mehloding e tshepahalang, ho ile ha sebediswa mokgwa wa ho etsa sampole ka morero ho kgetha bankakarolo dikolong tse tharo. Qetellong, kakaretso ya bankakarolo ba 16 ho tswa dikolong tse tharo tse hlwauweng tsa pele tsa Makgowa e nkile karolo phuputsong. Dipuisano tse ka bang leshome tsa sebopeho sa vitjhuale di ile tsa etswa le matitjhere ha ditho tse tsheletseng tsa Dihlopha tsa Tsamaiso ya Sekolo di ile tsa kgutlisa mathathamo a dipotso a tlatsitsweng inthaneteng. Ho tswa manollong ya data, phuputso e senotse kgaello e tshwenyang ya kutlwisiso e felletseng ya hore na ho kopanngwa ha merabe ke eng hara matitjhere. Sena se fella ka hore matitjhere a sebedise mekgwa e kang ya ho kenya letsoho, ho kopanya, le ho se bone merabe e fapaneng, e leng tseo kaofela di ipakileng di fokola haholo ho tliseng kopano ya nnete. Ho feta moo, matitjhere le ona a ile a lla ka kgaello ya tshehetso ho tswa ho Lefapha la Thuto ka mokgwa wa ho fana ka mananeo a ho aha bokgoni bakeng sa Makgotla a Taolo ya Sekolo kapa ditho tsa Sehlopha sa Tsamaiso ya Dikolo, mme ka kakaretso, matitjhere a sala a se na tataiso mabapi le ho sebetsana le ditaba tse amanang le merabe ditlelaseng. Phuputso e boetse e senotse palo ya diqholotso tse tobaneng le matitjhere ha ba ntse ba shebana le ho sebetsana le ditlelase tsa merabe e kopaneng. Ka kakaretso, data e bontshitse dikamano tse ntle hara baithuti le matitjhere ho sa tsotellehe diphapano tsa merabe ya bona.

Na die aanvang van die desegregasie van skole in 1994, het die voormalige wit skole ’n toeloop van leerders uit voorheen benadeelde gemeenskappe ervaar; die toeloop was veral van leerders uit swart townships. Hierdie situasie het verwagte uitdagings vir opvoeders meegebring aangesien hulle nou klasse met gemengde rasse moes onderrig; dit was ’n konteks waarop hul onderwysopleidinginstellings hulle nie voorberei het nie. In die proses het beide opvoeders en skoolbestuurders sedertdien verskeie strategieë en maatreëls ingestel om die behoeftes van leerders uit diverse rasse aan te spreek. Dis teen hierdie agtergrond dat die huidige studie uitgevoer is. Die doel van die studie was om ’n deurtastende ondersoek te doen na die ervaringe van opvoeders in die hantering van rasse-integrasie in gedesegregreerde openbare primêre skole in spesifiek die Oos-Gauteng distrik. Die navorser het die Kritieke Rasseteorie (Critical Race Theory) as die vernaamste ondersteunende teoretiese raamwerk vir die studie gebruik. Dit het ook as ’n teoretiese lens fungeer waarmee die ervaringe van opvoeders ondersoek sou word. In ooreenstemming met die kwalitatiewe aard van die studie, is fenomenologie as ’n gepaste strategie gebruik om deelnemers die geleentheid te bied om van hul ervaringe te vertel. Die keuse om fenomenologie te gebruik is verder ondersteun deur die feit dat die studie binne die vertolkende en sosiale konstruktivisme paradigmas gesetel was. Ten einde data uit gesaghebbende bronne te verkry, is doelbewuste steekproefneming gebruik om deelnemers uit al drie die skole te kies. Daar sou uiteindelik altesaam 16 deelnemers uit die drie geïdentifiseerde voormalige wit skole aan die ondersoek deelneem. Tien halfgestruktureerde, virtuele onderhoude is met opvoeders gevoer onderwyl ses lede uit skoolbestuurspangeledere die vraelyste aanlyn ingevul het. Die ontleding van die data het ’n kommerwekkende gebrek onder opvoeders aan omvattende begrip van wat rasse-integrasie behels, aan die lig gebring. Dit bring mee dat opvoeders strategieë soos die kontribusiebenadering, assimilasie en kleurblindheid aanwend terwyl daar alreeds bewys is dat al hierdie strategieë slegs ’n baie beperkte bydrae tot outentieke integrasie lewer. Voorts het opvoeders ook hul misnoeë met die onderwysdepartement te kenne gegee oor die gebrek aan ondersteuning in die vorm van kapasiteitversterkingsprogramme vir nóg skoolbeheerliggame nóg lede van skoolbestuurspanne en uiteraard is opvoeders dan sonder enige leiding ten opsigte van hoe hulle rasverwante kwessies in die klaskamer moet hanteer. Die studie het ook ’n hele aantal uitdagings blootgelê waardeur opvoeders in die gesig gestaar word soos wat hulle hul weg in rasgeïntegreerde klasse probeer vind. Die data het egter oor die algemeen positiewe verhoudings tussen leerders en opvoeders getoon, ongeag hul rasseverskille.