The right to a basic Education in South Africa: Providing content to the right to achieve adequacy in Schools

This dissertation is a multi-disciplinary examine at the meaning of a right to basic education in South Africa. It will attempt to better understand the present circumstances in schools and the disparities in educational resource s, both material and human. In order to provide context for an unfamiliar reader, a brief review of the history of education will be provided. Resource disparities between the wealthy (minority) and middle class and poor (majority) will be reviewed and discussed with special focus on the Western C ape, where the research for this dissertation was conducted. The Western Cape is also the site of the ethnographic work collected and arranged in a section of the dissertation. US Legal cases surrounding education, a brief overview of the possibilities and problems of the legal approach are included in order to challenge but ultimately support the notion of the utility of the law as a tool to achieve substantive changes in educational equality. Recent cases in South Africa addressing the right are introduced as indicative of the possible jurisprudential trajectory that lies ahead. Finally, a list of the resources deemed 'basic' and necessary for educational success will be included and fleshed out within the dissertation.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Public Law

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Kopkowski, K

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Calland, Richard

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/28260

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/28260