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In this article texts by scholars from South Africa, Sweden and Great Britain are analysed. They contributed as invited speakers to a conference in Sweden in 2009 on changing societies, values, religions and education. Here a South-North dialogue on diversity and the future of education is constructed through the way their conference contributions are presented and analysed. Democracy and gender also appear as crucial themes. Out of the original 12 keynote contributions to the conference a selection is made, meaning that seven of them are focused on. What can be observed is (a) that the contributors from South Africa connect diversity and social justice; (b) that the gender researchers critically discuss the risks of the North imposing its theoretical framework on the South and search for ways out of that and (c) a preoccupation with a renewal of education recognising diversity but also looking for what could come beyond such an emphasis and form a common ground. The article constitutes an example of shared knowledge production where South and North meet. Conditions for that are critically reflected upon methodologically.

This article is based on research into the phenomenon referred to as the "colonization of the mind." It commences with a discussion of four different backgrounds and concomitant experiences regarding this persistent form of colonization: two with reference to the authors of this article, and two with reference to distinguishable categories of Indigenous people who still feel the enduring effects of the colonization of the mind. After theorizing about the "living in two worlds" that seems to be typical of the colonization of the mind, the authors propose a number of biblically justifiable measures that can be implemented by those still feeling themselves suffering from this lingering form of colonization. These measures include the adoption of a reformed ontology, anthropology, ethics, and education. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of an adapted Citizenship Education school program that may contribute to the eradication of the colonization of the mind issue.

In a critical review of the South African government's Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications (MRTEQ), designed to provide a foundation for teacher education institutions, a stark deficiency emerges in terms of critical Global Citizenship Education (GCE). This paper thus aims to investigate the underpinnings guiding teacher educators' pedagogical practices in developing the capacities their students require for a critical GCE. A case study research design guided by an interpretative paradigm was used. Semi-structured online interviews were conducted among nine teacher educators at a university in South Africa. The adoption of a case study design with a small sample size restricts the generalisability of the findings. The researcher acknowledges this limitation; however, this study was of an explanatory nature, with the objective of gaining in-depth knowledge of the teacher educators' reactions to the interview questions, rather than aiming to generalise the findings. The study establishes a compelling link between teacher educators' familiarity/understanding with GCE, curriculum integration, and the use of technology in the development of globally-minded, critically-thinking citizens. The findings suggest that the majority of university educators favoured soft GCE approaches, whereas a sizable minority embraced crucial GCE qualities. The findings further confirm that when technology is used in the classroom, it helps students work together and think critically, which leads to a significant rise in student autonomy. However, the research reveals significant barriers, such as a lack of technology, a predominant focus on content over meaningful dialogue, and the implications of using either a soft or critical GCE approach. These results underscore the need for addressing these challenges to effectively facilitate respectful discussions and cultivate critical global citizenship in students.

This paper explores the question of what is powerful knowledge in school history, drawing on an analysis of secondary school history curriculum documents from South Africa and Rwanda. The paper engages with how these official curricula make selections regarding history topics, and how conceptual relationships are structured, and then interrogates to what extent the curricula might give learners access to powerful historical knowledge. The post-apartheid South African history curriculum chose a disciplinary focus, which aims for learners to develop the skills to analyse historical sources and evidence and to recognise that there are different interpretations of particular events. In contrast, the Rwandan history curriculum takes a collective, memory-history approach which does not focus on historical enquiry and has a strong focus on nation-building and citizenship. I engage with the implications of what this means for the idea of powerful knowledge in school history and argue that the socialisation aspect of school history cannot be ignored.

The paper considers citizenship formation at universities, drawing on the example of a student leadership project at the University of the Free State, a formerly White South African university, in a higher education context and society where racialised difference continues to influence peer relationships. The paper proposes a multi-dimensional conceptualisation of social citizenship, as described by T.H. Marshall, enriched by the capabilities approach, which adds specific citizenship dimensions of deliberation, acknowledgment of heterogeneity, and agency goals and activities as core elements of being able to be and to do as citizens. This is operationalised by investigating the student development intervention, based on biographical interview data from 50 of the 71 students who participated in the first iteration of the programme. The data is analysed for the three capability dimensions and for student criticisms of the programme, before an overall judgment is made of the programme's contribution to democratic values and citizenship formation.

In this paper, we argue that philosophical enquiry, as practised using community of enquiry pedagogy, is an appropriate implementation strategy for Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) if the principles that underlie the curriculum are to be taken seriously. Matthew Lipman's Philosophy for Children Programme and its community of enquiry pedagogy were intended as a classroom means to enhance children's critical, creative, caring and collaborative thinking and prepare them for democratic citizenship. A previous study suggested that pre-service teachers benefitted from exposure to this pedagogy. The aim of this study was to explore the extent to which pre-service teachers, after a brief experiential introduction to community of enquiry pedagogy, perceived its relevance to the CAPS curriculum. The research was positioned within an interpretivist qualitative paradigm with an emphasis on shared construction of meanings. In 2013 the final-year student group consisted of seventy-four students, of whom 30 volunteered to participate in focus group discussions at the end of the year. Themes were identified within the data and are reported within the following broad categories: perceived relevance to the general requirements of the CAPS curriculum, perceived relevance to specific curriculum areas, and constraints on implementation. Discussion focuses on the insights of participants, potential challenges, some limitations of the research and our plans to address them.

Science and mathematics teacher professional development in South Africa does not adequately address teachers' pedagogical content knowledge or ability to integrate indigenous knowledge into the curriculum. This situation is partly due to traditional teacher professional development programmes that utilise top-down and expert-driven approaches without consulting teachers. This "one- size-fits-all" model is rarely relevant to teachers' classroom realities, especially in rural areas. The research question that guided this research was: How could the professional development intervention be contextualised to better meet the educational needs of a rural environment? In this paper, we explore the design principles for teacher professional development interventions that could addressthe needs of teachers and the context, acknowledging that teachers in rural areas face different challenges compared to teachers in urban areas. We use the Hantam region of the Northern Cape Province as a case study to explore the affordances of partnerships with local indigenous knowledge holders and cultural institutions (museums) in the professional development of teachers. Data were generated from semi-structured interviews with Hantam school and community participants using a qualitative approach. Two major themes that emerged from this qualitative research was that (a) the involvement of indigenous knowledge holders and museums as "third partners" in the value chain between universities and schools, could greatly assist to better contextualise the "western" science curriculum, and (b) the incorporation of indigenous knowledge in the STEM curriculum could assist in building the self-esteem of learners. We argue that contextualising science and mathematics teacher professional development for the rural environment has affordances for improving not only teacher competencies, but also learners' views on the relevance of science and mathematics in everyday life.

Universities are criticised for overemphasising instrumental values. Instrumental values are important but universities risks undermining cultivation of humanity, critical consciousness and civic agency. Service-learning (SL) is practice that moves teaching and learning beyond the focus on technical skills and instrumental outcomes. Nonetheless, little is known about this role of SL in African and particularly South Africa context. Using a capability approach (CA) as developed by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, the article explores the contribution of SL in fostering students' capabilities for citizenship, conscientization and civic agency. The findings indicate that through SL processes and activities, students develop citizenship capabilities of affiliation and narrative imagination, informed vision, social and collective struggle, and local citizenship but often not in the way the university intended. The paper contributes to the understanding of how SL can expand the conception of teaching and learning and fosters critical social values in the global South context.

This article explores the initial steps in developing and presenting Sport Psychology in a leadership and sport curriculum at Stellenbosch University's (SU) Centre for Human Performance Sciences' (CHPS) Academy for Girls' Leadership and Sport Development. Sport Psychology does not feature within the South African school curriculum specifically, yet the CHPS recognises the importance of exposing girls to the principles and skills of Sport Psychology and has a leadership curriculum for girls participating in sport to this end. This paper reports on a qualitative and exploratory reflective inquiry by the author who presented this theme. What was gained during this process, as well as the associated challenges encountered, suggest possible areas for research as well as changes and adjustments which could be made in similar Sport Psychology curricula.

This paper presents an argument for the relevance of education for critical global citizenship, with reference to a graphic design module at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa as a case study. The first part of the paper argues that tolerance, cultural diversity, democratic participation and social cohesion are prerequisites for plural democracies. The second part argues that educational institutions, as prominent organisational structures, have an obligation to address these social issues. It is argued that addressing social inequality and developing conditions for democratic flourishing is particularly important in the newly democratised South Africa. Consequently, particular attention is paid to the South African higher education context. The paper then gives an account of an attempt at practically engaging university students in these issues through the university curricula, describing, in terms of its form and content, the above-mentioned graphic design module on critical global citizenship. Finally, it considers to what extent the module has been successful in promoting attitudes of tolerance and social cohesion in a racially and culturally mixed educational environment, using qualitative data collected from participants in the module, and reflects on the ethical and practical challenges that critical citizenship education might face.

The paper focuses on the issue of children's political participation and considers the idea of political participation understood as a human right. Contingently it considers the question of children as agents or potential political actors, as well as the assumed limitations of their role. The paper begins by offering an outline of how children's rights have come to be considered in the international context as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and the idealized concept of childhood that is implicit in this convention. The paper then proposes some alternative approaches to understanding childhood and children's status, with a view to proposing a more nuanced approach to their political participation that neither treats them as passive recipients of duties towards them, nor as the voiceless possessions of groups or families. This is followed by an account of the emerging debate about deliberative democracy as a more substantive approach to political participation, and by some consideration of how this relates to the rights and capabilities of children as political actors. The paper concludes with some tentative suggestions about how institutions in South Africa could be utilized to realize a more flexible and nuanced approach to children's participation in this key area.

This paper examines the relationship between the South African knowledge enterprise and citizenship in terms of the ontologies it authorises. It is especially interested in how education comes to be used in particular settings to privilege particular ways of being. In relation to this it asks what notions of the subject and his or her relation to the social and the natural world inhabit the organisation of the school and its curriculum and how these notions have settled on the learning landscape. These questions are critical in understanding the emergent conceptions of citizenship and national identity in the country, especially in light of its complex attempts to work with its multiple pasts and its determination to enter the global world on its own terms as opposed to those of the dominant economies of the world. They are crucial as South Africans make a commitment to both Africanism and globalisation. The paper begins with a brief discussion on the promise of modern education and its commitment to democracy and democratic citizenship. It argues, however, that this commitment to inclusiveness is undone as education systems around the world emerge and are developed on the premise of a universalism informed by the experience and example of Europe and its presumptive cultural legacy. How this process works in the South African context constitutes the substance of the paper. (Contains 2 notes.)

This paper considers the role of teacher education in England and South Africa in relation to education for democratic citizenship. It argues that teacher education should play a positive role in this respect but there has often been a contradiction between the structures and practices of teacher education and democratic forms of education. The paper analyses teacher education policy in both countries in the light of these arguments. It then goes on to discuss the practice of teacher education in both countries in relation to existing literature and evidence and interviews with student teachers at two universities in England and two in South Africa.

Curricular reform in South African schools, as initially encountered through outcomes based education (OBE), and most recently in CAPS, has been criticised and interrogated, if not for its epistemology, then for its political desirability. While justifiable questions were and continue to be asked about the pedagogical adaptability of teachers to their new roles as facilitators of pre-determined outcomes, the same has not been said, or asked, about the preparedness of teachers to teach democratic citizenship education. It is necessary, therefore, to consider how prepared teachers are to teach and cultivate the principles of democratic citizenship education. Second, what considerations should be given to teacher identity in relation to democratic citizenship education? And third, how might South African teachers begin to take account of their identities and narratives, so that they might be placed to participate in teaching democratic citizenship education? In response, I argue that the contested nature of teacher identities makes possible particular contributions to democratic citizenship and democratic education, which are necessary for teaching democratic citizenship education.

This article is a response to a qualitative study that examined how the indigenous African notion of "ubuntu" informs how some school teachers in a Black township in South Africa conceptualize Western-oriented narratives of democracy. While the study acknowledges important differences in how ubuntu is understood and defined, the author argues that it nonetheless tends to overlook them in order to harness ubuntu as a force for positive social change and national development. The author argues that ubuntu could potentially serve as a powerful cultural force for change, but this requires a context in which some of the moral qualities associated with ubuntu are more widely practiced and visible in communities and in the policies and practices of government at all levels. It also requires a reconceptualization of ubuntu as an inclusive and nonessentialized notion that is responsive to the practical needs of contemporary South African society. [The article is in response to "The Cultural Contours of Democracy: Indigenous Epistemologies Informing South African Citizenship." To view this article, see EJ1120063.]

As the prevalence of service-learning within higher education institutions grows across the globe there is value to explore, discuss, and describe the similarities and differences between the various expressions that are emerging. Such comparative analysis can deepen understanding of service-learning pedagogy, improve practice, and create a framework for future research. This paper compares service-learning in the United States and South Africa to understand Western-oriented and Africanized expressions of this promising teaching strategy. The analysis identifies three dimensions derived from the educational theories of John Dewey and Julius Nyerere and finds there is mutual agreement as to the value of developing civic-minded graduates. However, in the U.S., service-learning is supported primarily by nonprofit associations and stakeholders within higher education, whereas in South Africa, service-learning is a part of state mandated transformations for higher education. (Contains 1 figure.)

This paper proposes a form of Grade R pedagogy in South African schools that addresses both the diverse realities of South Africa's children and the principles underpinning a participatory democracy. The community of enquiry pedagogy we propose is based on a socio-cultural historical theoretical perspective and focuses on the nurturing of a reasonable person (both learner and teacher) in the context of a play-based Grade R (reception year). This relational pedagogy assumes the inclusion of child's voice and the participation of child as thinker, and therefore challenges teachers to take up different roles as co-enquirers, democrats, guides and listeners.

In this article, I shall evaluate critically the democratic citizenship education project in South Africa to ascertain whether the patriotic sentiments expressed in the "Manifesto on Values, Education and Democracy" (2001) are in conflict with the achievement of reconciliation and nation building (specifically peace and friendship) after decades of apartheid rule. My first argument is that, although it seems as if the teaching of patriotism through the Department of Education's democratic citizenship agenda in South African schools is a laudable initiative that can contribute toward establishing a definitive break with our apartheid past, the expression of blind patriotic sentiments (such as pledging allegiance to one's country and its citizens only) as articulated in the "Manifesto" can potentially marginalise others (immigrant communities) as the country endeavours to build its fledgling democracy. My second argument is that the intended democratic form of patriotism of the Department of Education can possibly be undermined by cultivating a culture of "safe expression", which could slow down the country's quest for reconciliation and nation building.

There is an abundance of literature on citizenship education. This essay is an attempt to show how deliberation is used in university classroom pedagogy, to engender in students a commitment to becoming responsible citizens of a post-apartheid South Africa. Firstly, I show that controversy can be attended to through deliberation, with specific reference to three incidents in my country: alleged racist practices at a university ; an instruction by the Minister of Education to introduce a pledge of allegiance in public schools; and xenophobic attacks on foreigners. Secondly, I show that deliberation alone cannot guarantee responsible citizenship. Students also need to be taught to have compassion for the vulnerable other. Finally, I argue that cultivating citizenship through deliberation offers much hope to counteract blindly patriotic sentiments and to engender cosmopolitan justice.

The decline in civic participation, dwindling support for social services and deficits in state budgets, has created a climate in which higher education, supported by several policies, has to make a commitment to contribute to the reconstruction and development of society by linking academic programmes to community-based priorities (Campbell 2002). In South Africa, the Community Higher Education Service Partnership (CHESP) was implemented by the Joint Education Trust in response to the directive of the White Paper on Higher Education (1997) to develop and research pilot academic programmes through community, university and service sector partnerships. The purpose of these partnerships was to: contribute to the empowerment and development of local communities; make higher education policy and practice responsive to community priorities, and, enhance service delivery to participating communities (Lazarus 2001). It was anticipated that these partnerships would inspire a sense of citizenship; engender new forms of problem solving knowledge; capacity and practice; produce a new generation of leaders, and, contribute to national development (Nuttal, Bruzas and Mosime 2000). To test the relevance and practical application of these holistic and developmental concepts this article which is based on an intensive study undertaken at five university sites with ten multidisciplinary modules, explores the position of service learning and its impact on partnerships. The conclusion reached was that although the ultimate aim was to connect higher education and civil society, the formalisation of existing policies and institutional arrangements are necessary to facilitate meaningful partnerships. (Contains 1 note and 1 table.)

In this article I consider whether there is a process of repression occurring in definitions of citizenship and frameworks of citizenship education, which involves a forgetting of history. By focusing on recently troubled countries I identify how the force of history comes to play, and from that I consider how, in relatively stable liberal democracies such as England, the repression of history is more complete. I suggest that this repression leads to an impoverished definition of citizenship in terms of values and ethical considerations, resulting in an antiseptic curriculum which fails to address some of the sharper issues that lie deep in the complexity of experience and identity, issues that should be addressed in the pursuit of being-together in a pluralist society.

Education for Global Citizenship (E4GC) offers many opportunities to explore spirituality and a sense of how one fits into the world at a range of levels. Beyond the Curriculum Boundaries is a project that enables student teachers to consider E4GC alongside issues of multiculturalism, antiracism and democracy education, with a strong focus on religious education and geography. This paper outlines the ethos behind the project, identifies key elements and themes, appraises student responses, and evaluates key learning points. Student teachers respond to the module in a variety of ways that inform their learning and teaching, and development takes place on both personal and professional levels: as the project has developed the awareness of children's worldviews and the sense of interconnectedness with others has grown, adding an increasingly spiritual dimension to learning. This article argues that E4GC provides an effective vehicle for supporting the often-overlooked spiritual dimension of children development. (Contains 1 note.)

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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the literature on school leadership and management in South Africa, linked to the 20th anniversary of democratic government and integrated education. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted a systematic review of all published work since 2007 with a more selective review of sources before 2007. Findings – The findings show emerging evidence about the development of school leadership and management in South Africa but they also highlight on-going challenges, including poor learner outcomes, conflict with teacher unions, uneasy relationships between principals and school governing bodies, and leadership which remains focused on administration rather than teaching and learning. Research limitations/implications – The findings show that research on school leadership and management is developing but remains limited in terms of its scope and a reliance on small-scale unfunded projects. Practical/implications – The findings confirm the need for specialist leadership training for current and aspiring principals and for other senior and middle leaders. Social/implications – The findings show that South Africa remains a divided society with great differences in the quality of education available to learners, based on social class rather than race. Originality/value – The paper’s value lies in the comprehensive and systematic review of research on school leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes realities of "gutter education," the term applied to segregated education for blacks under apartheid in South Africa. Exposes efforts to control learning of students, including excessive use of rote learning methods and state-mandated content exams which promote the status quo. Notes lack of black students' cooperation with such methods. Details efforts to reform existing system of black education. (JDH)

The paper considers citizenship formation at universities, drawing on the example of a student leadership project at the University of the Free State, a formerly White South African university, in a higher education context and society where racialised difference continues to influence peer relationships. The paper proposes a multi-dimensional conceptualisation of social citizenship, as described by T.H. Marshall, enriched by the capabilities approach, which adds specific citizenship dimensions of deliberation, acknowledgment of heterogeneity, and agency goals and activities as core elements of being able to be and to do as citizens. This is operationalised by investigating the student development intervention, based on biographical interview data from 50 of the 71 students who participated in the first iteration of the programme. The data is analysed for the three capability dimensions and for student criticisms of the programme, before an overall judgment is made of the programme’s contribution to democratic values and citizenship formation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An increasing number of Americans are waking up to the horror of apartheid, South Africa's system of racial domination. How Americans can promote political freedom and economic justice in South America and yet minimize the bloodshed is discussed. (RM)

We contend that lockdown restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in South Africa have exposed deep divisions between citizens and the state, due in part to the neglect of citizenship education and to the neglect of our historical citizenship heritage. We propose in this paper two sources of appropriate normative guidelines, rooted in our common, collective history and ethics, which we ought to promote among citizens to reunite our people. We argue that citizenship education ought not only to be promoted actively in schools but that it must be reformed on the basis of two sets of foundational principles: a) Ubuntu; and b) the Freedom Charter. These encourage integration between citizens and subjects, and between citizens and the state; not to impose false universality from above, nor incoherent heteronomy from below, but to regulate these with cultural and historical continuity in transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based upon the collaboration between two research groups from Stockholm University and the University of South Africa. The main objective is to compare attitudes between South African (SA) and Swedish teachers regarding inclusive education (IE). IE in this paper is examined as a distinct part of the Swedish welfare system. The method used can be characterised as a combined, quantitative and qualitative research design with a purposive sampling. A similar adapted questionnaire was distributed in the two countries. The Swedish teachers in our data are more pro-inclusion and more hesitating to accommodate learners with barriers in special schools. However, both the Swedish and the SA teachers in the study are hesitating towards the feasibility to implement IE practically. A team approach is concluded to be an adequate pedagogy for supporting IE both in South Africa and Sweden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the ways in which citizenship education is used in an effort to create particular kinds of citizens as part of a larger effort at nation- and polity-building. This paper addresses the purpose of citizenship education and its role in creating political subjectivities for citizens. We argue that policies and programmes often attempt to heal social divisions by fostering a common linkage between citizens and nation, but in ways that may be ineffective, and in some cases, deeply problematic. This argument is developed through a consideration of the ways in which different agents involved in citizenship education use their own experiences to develop and interpret citizenship education programmes. Through this, both the meaning and the teaching of citizenship may be reworked. This conceptual argument is supplemented through a consideration of citizenship education programmes in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How is citizenship understood in South Africa, a new democracy with a deeply divided past? This paper describes the approach to citizenship education in recent educational policy, and in curriculum developments. It does so against the background of a conceptualisation of citizenship based on both the participatory vision of the anti-apartheid struggle and on the citizen as presented in the new Constitution. The shifting nature of the divisions that still deeply divide this society is explored, together with tensions between what can be called the official conceptualisation of citizenship and a more popular interpretation of citizenship as access to socio economic rights. This tension poses potential problems in the democratic polity, as well as a challenge for citizenship education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discourses about Internet and rights generate ideological, economic, and policy debates that bring to prominence the question of citizenship in today's digital age. But what does Internet access as a citizen's right imply? What are the pragmatic meanings of the intersection of citizenship, rights, and technology access? Specifically, what does citizens' right to technology mean for African states? This paper examines citizenship, rights, and Internet in South Africa, and attempts to move the discourse beyond philosophical rhetoric to practical policy interpretations. To do this, the study examines interpretations and reactions of policy-makers to the idea of Internet access as a citizen's right, and through a survey explores the views of many youth on this subject. Findings reveal strong opinions about rights and technology access in South Africa. For policy-makers, the reality of the socioeconomic challenges of Africa humbles an egalitarian aspiration of rights and Internet access. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In post-apartheid South Africa, a foregrounding of democratic citizenship education through broadened and inclusive participation is especially evident in a decentralised school-based leadership, management, and governance system. Policy-wise, the involvement of parents in School Governing Body (SGB) structures is seen as an enactment of representative and collective consultation, key to the democratisation of schooling and education. In practice, however, the wide-sweeping authority of SGBs, has allowed several schools to continue a historical narrative of exclusion and inequality, effectively widening the gaps between historically advantaged and disadvantaged schools, and putting into effect renewed tensions of inequality and inequity. Key questions arise: has the state erred in its trust of SGBs to enact democratisation? Or are there limits to what democratisation can achieve? In considering these questions, the article explores re-considerations of governance so that interpretations of democratisation of schools are not used in the subversion of education as a public good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of challenges facing higher education in South Africa since 1994 as outlined in the White Paper is "to redress past inequalities and to transform the higher education system to serve a new social order, to meet pressing national needs, and to respond to new realities and opportunities."(White Paper,3;1). Access to higher education and education in general has been a problem particularly for African people. This is important to understand the present challenges facing higher education as South Africa enjoys its second decade of democracy. In order to meet these challenges, the post-apartheid government enacted new policies to redress past inequalities in higher education. This article analyzed how new policies have transformed and democratized the higher education system and what challenges it still faces. Whether higher education institutions are ready to meet these challenges remains to be seen. The article, despite new policy initiatives, assumes higher education continues to face a number of challenges ranging from transformation, redress and equity, to having an inclusive curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines indigenous perspectives of democracy from inter-views with principals from 12 secondary, intermediate, and primary schools in South Africa's oldest township in the Western Cape province. Because school administrators serve as mediators between state policies and enacted school curriculum, principals' views about democracy and education's role in developing democratic citizens warrant attention. Poverty, unemployment, health, and housing remain primary social con-cerns affecting educational quality in South Africa. In such circum-stances, school leadership especially influences school climate and stu-dents' attitudes toward learning. The findings of this study - the first of its kind to explore constructions of democracy held by principals work-ing in a historically disadvantaged township outside Cape Town - pro-vide insights as to how local culture and globalizing forces influence the culturally relevant democratic education advocated by these school lead-ers in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]