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Focus schools and vocational education in the Western Cape

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.

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Main Author: Larey, Desiree Pearl
Other Authors: Badroodien, Azeem
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2012
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access_status_str Open Access
author Larey, Desiree Pearl
author2 Badroodien, Azeem
author_browse Badroodien, Azeem
Larey, Desiree Pearl
author_facet Badroodien, Azeem
Larey, Desiree Pearl
author_sort Larey, Desiree Pearl
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/20023
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:43:36.943Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2012
publishDateRange 2012
publishDateSort 2012
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
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spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/20023 Focus schools and vocational education in the Western Cape Larey, Desiree Pearl Badroodien, Azeem Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies. History of Western Cape Historically disadvantaged communities Human capital development Vocationalism Educational redress Focus schools Human capital -- Management Disadvantaged, Economically -- Vocational guidance -- Western Cape -- Case studies People with social disabilities -- Education -- Western Cape Theses -- Education policy studies Dissertations -- Education policy studies Education Policy Studies Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The main goal of this thesis was to better understand the role and function of the focus schools project in the Western Cape, to explore the reasons for their emergence in 2006, and to locate the policy initiative within historical and policy developments around vocationalism in the province. The study focused in particular on how one focus school experienced the roll-out of this policy decision, what the impressions of the learners and educators at a case study school were, and also how officials attached to the Western Cape Education Department described the emergence and implementation of the policy. Further goals of the study were to contextualize the policy process that led to this form of provision, and to conceptualise how this fitted in with educational development issues in the province. A brief backdrop of historical developments and its role in the education of communities in the Western Cape, particularly the coloured community, was provided to contextualize the policy initiative. The main contribution of the thesis is its description and analysis of policy documents and the viewpoints of a range of people connected to a new provincial initiative, focus schools, with regard to what a focus school is meant to achieve and how it is experienced. Data was collected by studying a range of unpublished policy documents, and to link these to interviews conducted with departmental and district officials, educators, learners, and one principal in relation to one case study school. The study showed that focus schools were regarded mainly as a form of vocational education provision to accommodate the desire of the Western Cape economy for intermediate skills in the mid-2000s. It illustrated how the focus school band has run its own unique course within educational structures since 2006, and highlighted how they have fulfilled their goal of getting more learners from historically disadvantaged communities into further study or into positions that better serve the needs of the local economy. The thesis suggested that the policy focus of getting learners into higher education seemed misguided and contrary to the goals of vocational education provision. This policy confusion was further highlighted by learners interviewed in the study who noted that they would have preferred to follow a more academically-based path. Few believed they could either get to university (as claimed by policy officials) or into a viable employment poisition by following a vocational route at school. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoofdoel van die tesis was om ´n beter begrip van die rol en funksie van die fokusskool-projek in die Wes-Kaap te verkry, die redes vir die ontstaan van hierdie skole in die jaar, 2006 te ondersoek, asook om die beleids-inisiatief binne die historiese en beleidsontwikkeling rondom beroepsonderwys (vocationalism) in die provinsie na te speur. Die navorsing konsentreer hoofsaaklik op hoe een fokusskool die implementering van die beleidsbesluit ervaar, en in hoe ´n mate die leerders en die opvoeders verbonde aan die gevallestudie-skool die onderwysvoorsiening beleef. ´n Gedeelte van die ondersoek gee ook die sieninge van sleutelpersone in die Wes-Kaapse Onderwysdepartement weer. Verdere doelwitte van die ondersoek was om die beleidsproses wat gelei het tot hierdie onderwysvoorsiening te kontekstualiseer, en om dit te konseptualiseer in hoe ´n mate dit inpas in die opvoedkundige ontwikkeling binne die provinsie. ´n Kort agtergrond skets van die historiese ontwikkeling en die rol wat onderwys in die gemeenskappe van die Wes-Kaap, spesifiek die van die bruin (kleurling) gemeenskap was aangebied om die beleids-inisiatief te konseptualiseer. Die belangrikste bydrae van die tesis is die beskrywing en analise van beleidsdokumente en die standpunte van 'n verskeidenheid van mense wat betrokke is by die nuwe provinsiale inisiatief, fokusskole, met betrekking tot wat fokusskole beoog om te bereik en hoe dit beleef word. Inligting was versamel deur die bestudering van 'n reeks van ongepubliseerde beleidsdokumente, en dit verbind met onderhoude wat gevoer was met departementele- en distriks-amptenare. Opvoeders, leerders, en 'n skoolhoof verbonde aan een gevallestudie skool was ook ondervra. Die navorsing het getoon dat fokusskole ´n vorm van beroepsonderwys is om die strewe van die Wes-Kaapse ekonomie vir intermediêre vaardigheidsvlakke te verhoog. Die planne was gedurende die middel 2000´s in werking gestel. Die navorsing het ook getoon dat die fokusskool-projek sy eie unieke verloop binne die onderwys strukture sedert 2006 gehad het. Die ondersoek het ook getoon dat die strewe om meer leerders uit die historiese benadeelde gemeenskappe sover te kry om verder te gaan studeer of posisies te vervul om die plaaslike ekonomie te bedien, nie so suksesvol is soos die beleid dit vooruitstel nie. Die tesis stel voor dat die beleidsfokus om leerders na hoër onderwys te lei, misleidend is en teenstrydig is met die doelwitte van beroepsonderwys. Die verwarring wat deur die beleid veroorsaak was, was verder belig deur die leerders wat onderhoude mee gevoer was. Die leerders se mening is dat hulle liefs verkies om die meer akademiese-gebaseerde weg te volg. Min van hulle het geglo dat hul weg oop is na hoër onderwys soos wat amptenare van die Wes-Kaapse Onderwysdepartement beweer of dat beroepsmoontlikhede daar is nadat hy beroepsonderwys in fokusskole gevolg het. Masters 2012-02-27T10:41:25Z 2012-03-30T10:34:42Z 2012-02-27T10:41:25Z 2012-03-30T10:34:42Z 2012-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/20023 en_ZA Stellenbosch University ix, 97 p. : ill. application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle History of Western Cape
Historically disadvantaged communities
Human capital development
Vocationalism
Educational redress
Focus schools
Human capital -- Management
Disadvantaged, Economically -- Vocational guidance -- Western Cape -- Case studies
People with social disabilities -- Education -- Western Cape
Theses -- Education policy studies
Dissertations -- Education policy studies
Education Policy Studies
Larey, Desiree Pearl
Focus schools and vocational education in the Western Cape
title Focus schools and vocational education in the Western Cape
title_full Focus schools and vocational education in the Western Cape
title_fullStr Focus schools and vocational education in the Western Cape
title_full_unstemmed Focus schools and vocational education in the Western Cape
title_short Focus schools and vocational education in the Western Cape
title_sort focus schools and vocational education in the western cape
topic History of Western Cape
Historically disadvantaged communities
Human capital development
Vocationalism
Educational redress
Focus schools
Human capital -- Management
Disadvantaged, Economically -- Vocational guidance -- Western Cape -- Case studies
People with social disabilities -- Education -- Western Cape
Theses -- Education policy studies
Dissertations -- Education policy studies
Education Policy Studies
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/20023
work_keys_str_mv AT lareydesireepearl focusschoolsandvocationaleducationinthewesterncape