HED4805
Assignment 4 2025
Unique number: 182074
Due Date: 22 August 2025
This document includes:
Helpful answers and guidelines
Detailed explanations and/ or calculations
References
Connect with the tutor on
+27 68 812 0934
,© Study Shack 2025. All rights Reserved +27 68 812 0934
, QUESTION 1
“PEOPLE’S EDUCATION FOR PEOPLE’S POWER” AND THE STRUGGLE
FOR EQUALITY DURING APARTHEID
Introduction
The phrase ―People‘s Education for People‘s Power‖ emerged during the
1980s in South Africa as a response to the crisis in black education under
apartheid. Far from being a vague or politically expedient slogan, it
represented a comprehensive, grassroots educational philosophy rooted in
the struggle for equality, social justice, and democratic transformation.
However, in later years, the phrase has often been misrepresented or
oversimplified for political purposes. This essay analyses the historical
context, objectives, and impact of People‘s Education, illustrating how it was a
strategic and ideological counter to apartheid education.
Context of People’s Education in the 1980s
During the 1980s, apartheid education reached a critical juncture. Following
the 1976 Soweto Uprising, resistance to Bantu Education intensified. The
slogan ―Liberation Now, Education Later‖ captured the growing frustration
among black students who saw the education system as a tool of oppression.
By the mid-1980s, parents and teachers began to worry about the long-term
impact of these school boycotts, fearing that a generation of youth would be
denied access to education and economic opportunities (Kruss, 1988:8).
Out of this crisis, the movement for ―People‘s Education‖ emerged. It was a
deliberate attempt to reject apartheid education and to create a new
educational paradigm aligned with the goals of the liberation struggle. It
sought to prepare learners not only for academic success but also for
participation in building a democratic South Africa (Mkhatshwa, 1985:61).
Core Principles of People’s Education
© Study Shack 2025. All rights Reserved +27 68 812 0934
Assignment 4 2025
Unique number: 182074
Due Date: 22 August 2025
This document includes:
Helpful answers and guidelines
Detailed explanations and/ or calculations
References
Connect with the tutor on
+27 68 812 0934
,© Study Shack 2025. All rights Reserved +27 68 812 0934
, QUESTION 1
“PEOPLE’S EDUCATION FOR PEOPLE’S POWER” AND THE STRUGGLE
FOR EQUALITY DURING APARTHEID
Introduction
The phrase ―People‘s Education for People‘s Power‖ emerged during the
1980s in South Africa as a response to the crisis in black education under
apartheid. Far from being a vague or politically expedient slogan, it
represented a comprehensive, grassroots educational philosophy rooted in
the struggle for equality, social justice, and democratic transformation.
However, in later years, the phrase has often been misrepresented or
oversimplified for political purposes. This essay analyses the historical
context, objectives, and impact of People‘s Education, illustrating how it was a
strategic and ideological counter to apartheid education.
Context of People’s Education in the 1980s
During the 1980s, apartheid education reached a critical juncture. Following
the 1976 Soweto Uprising, resistance to Bantu Education intensified. The
slogan ―Liberation Now, Education Later‖ captured the growing frustration
among black students who saw the education system as a tool of oppression.
By the mid-1980s, parents and teachers began to worry about the long-term
impact of these school boycotts, fearing that a generation of youth would be
denied access to education and economic opportunities (Kruss, 1988:8).
Out of this crisis, the movement for ―People‘s Education‖ emerged. It was a
deliberate attempt to reject apartheid education and to create a new
educational paradigm aligned with the goals of the liberation struggle. It
sought to prepare learners not only for academic success but also for
participation in building a democratic South Africa (Mkhatshwa, 1985:61).
Core Principles of People’s Education
© Study Shack 2025. All rights Reserved +27 68 812 0934
