Christian National Education (CNE) and People’s Education (PE): historical perspectives and some broad common grounds.
A recognition of the legitimate origins of the idea of Christian-National Education in a people’s struggle for freedom does not mean endorsing the idea as such. Especially in its later development, it seems that the ChristianNational idea has taken on wholly unacceptable features...For those who identify with the people’s education movement, the Christian-National idea will be a symbol of the system of oppression against which they now struggle so that it will be difficult for them to appreciate its origins in an earlier struggle against oppression that closely parallels their own... 1
The University Curriculum and the Transition in South Africa
Since early 1990, South Africa has been in a process of post-apartheid transition based on negotiations between the National Party, which had ruled South Africa since 1948, and the African National Congress (ANC). In any project of social transformation, universities should feature prominently given the importance of their training, socialisation and allocation functions to governments. Furthermore, since the curriculum is integral to the process of university education, both in terms of its content and organisation, thoroughgoing curriculum reform is an indispensable aspect of university reconstruction. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to assess the progress of curriculum change in university education in South Africa.
The politics of excellence: University education in the South African context
This paper outlines a number of major policies in terms of which predominantly white English medium universities are responding to a rapidly changing South Africa. It identifies key policy challenges that will face such universities and in this context evaluates current policy. Although major characteristics of the past three decades are unlikely to persist, the paper argues that existing policy is not in contradiction with South Africa's developing future provided it is clearly conceptualised, vigorously pursued and given priority in the allocation of resources. Excellence in both an African and an international context while not achievable outside a democratic South Africa is a powerful and appropriate goal.