HREDU82
ASSIGNMENT 3 2025
DUE: 22 AUGUST 2025 (MEMO)
,HREDU82 Assignment 3 2025
DUE 22 AUGUST 2025
Question 1: Improved Literature Review
In Assignment 2, you submitted a 1,000-word literature review to support the issues
explored in your study. In this assignment, you are required to revise and improve that
literature review based on the feedback provided on Assignment 2. This means that you
must address the weaknesses identified in your previous submission and aim for a
more critical, structured, and comprehensive review of relevant literature.
HISTORY OF EDUCATION
2.1 a. Background of the Study
The history of education is an essential field of study because it allows us to understand
how teaching, learning, and knowledge systems have developed over time. Education
has always been influenced by society, politics, economy, and culture. In early
societies, education was informal and community-based, with children learning through
observation, storytelling, and participation in daily activities. These systems emphasized
practical skills, moral values, and social responsibility.
In many parts of the world, including Africa, education was largely limited to certain
groups, often boys or members of elite families, reflecting societal hierarchies. With
colonization and the introduction of formal schooling, Western models of education
replaced or supplemented indigenous knowledge systems. In South Africa, colonial and
,apartheid education systems intentionally restricted access to quality education for
black learners, preparing them for menial labor rather than critical thinking or leadership
roles.
Since the end of apartheid, South Africa has implemented policies to create an inclusive
and equitable education system. The Constitution (1996) and the South African Schools
Act (1996) guarantee every child’s right to education. However, historical inequalities
continue to affect access, quality, and learner outcomes, especially in rural and under-
resourced areas. Understanding the history of education is therefore crucial to
identifying ongoing challenges, informing policy reforms, and creating inclusive and
effective educational practices.
2.1 b. Introduction and Identified Gap (Approx. 500 words)
Research shows that education systems have always mirrored societal priorities, power
structures, and cultural values. In ancient civilizations, formal education was often
reserved for elite groups, focusing on literacy, numeracy, or military training, while
informal community-based education passed practical knowledge and moral lessons to
all children. African societies valued oral traditions, apprenticeship models, and
communal learning, but these were disrupted by colonial education systems that
emphasized Western knowledge, language, and religion.
In South Africa, apartheid created a highly segregated education system. The Bantu
Education Act of 1953 deliberately limited educational opportunities for black South
Africans, ensuring they remained in subordinate roles within society. Research indicates
that apartheid policies resulted in long-term inequities in literacy, numeracy, and access
to higher education. Even after 1994, these historical patterns continue to influence
learner outcomes, teacher quality, and resource distribution.
, Despite significant reforms, gaps exist in the current understanding of how historical
education practices continue to shape contemporary classrooms. Most studies focus on
general access, enrollment, and policy changes but less on how historical inequities
influence teaching methods, curriculum design, and learner experiences in both urban
and rural contexts. Additionally, while global perspectives provide useful comparisons,
South Africa’s unique socio-political history requires context-specific research to
understand the legacies of colonial and apartheid education.
This study aims to address these gaps by examining the evolution of education in South
Africa, from pre-colonial and colonial systems to apartheid and post-apartheid reforms.
It seeks to explore how historical educational practices and policies continue to shape
modern classroom experiences, teaching approaches, and learner outcomes. By
focusing on this historical trajectory, the study will contribute to a deeper understanding
of current challenges and inform strategies for creating inclusive, equitable, and
effective education systems.
Question 3: Problem, Aim, Questions, Objectives, Rationale
3.1 Problem Statement
The South African education system continues to be influenced by its historical roots.
Colonial and apartheid education policies created inequities that persist in contemporary
schooling, particularly affecting black learners and under-resourced communities.
Despite constitutional guarantees and post-apartheid reforms, access to quality
education, teacher preparedness, and learner outcomes remain unequal. There is
insufficient understanding of how historical education practices influence modern
teaching methods, curricula, and classroom experiences, which limits the ability to
design effective interventions to improve equity and learning outcomes.
ASSIGNMENT 3 2025
DUE: 22 AUGUST 2025 (MEMO)
,HREDU82 Assignment 3 2025
DUE 22 AUGUST 2025
Question 1: Improved Literature Review
In Assignment 2, you submitted a 1,000-word literature review to support the issues
explored in your study. In this assignment, you are required to revise and improve that
literature review based on the feedback provided on Assignment 2. This means that you
must address the weaknesses identified in your previous submission and aim for a
more critical, structured, and comprehensive review of relevant literature.
HISTORY OF EDUCATION
2.1 a. Background of the Study
The history of education is an essential field of study because it allows us to understand
how teaching, learning, and knowledge systems have developed over time. Education
has always been influenced by society, politics, economy, and culture. In early
societies, education was informal and community-based, with children learning through
observation, storytelling, and participation in daily activities. These systems emphasized
practical skills, moral values, and social responsibility.
In many parts of the world, including Africa, education was largely limited to certain
groups, often boys or members of elite families, reflecting societal hierarchies. With
colonization and the introduction of formal schooling, Western models of education
replaced or supplemented indigenous knowledge systems. In South Africa, colonial and
,apartheid education systems intentionally restricted access to quality education for
black learners, preparing them for menial labor rather than critical thinking or leadership
roles.
Since the end of apartheid, South Africa has implemented policies to create an inclusive
and equitable education system. The Constitution (1996) and the South African Schools
Act (1996) guarantee every child’s right to education. However, historical inequalities
continue to affect access, quality, and learner outcomes, especially in rural and under-
resourced areas. Understanding the history of education is therefore crucial to
identifying ongoing challenges, informing policy reforms, and creating inclusive and
effective educational practices.
2.1 b. Introduction and Identified Gap (Approx. 500 words)
Research shows that education systems have always mirrored societal priorities, power
structures, and cultural values. In ancient civilizations, formal education was often
reserved for elite groups, focusing on literacy, numeracy, or military training, while
informal community-based education passed practical knowledge and moral lessons to
all children. African societies valued oral traditions, apprenticeship models, and
communal learning, but these were disrupted by colonial education systems that
emphasized Western knowledge, language, and religion.
In South Africa, apartheid created a highly segregated education system. The Bantu
Education Act of 1953 deliberately limited educational opportunities for black South
Africans, ensuring they remained in subordinate roles within society. Research indicates
that apartheid policies resulted in long-term inequities in literacy, numeracy, and access
to higher education. Even after 1994, these historical patterns continue to influence
learner outcomes, teacher quality, and resource distribution.
, Despite significant reforms, gaps exist in the current understanding of how historical
education practices continue to shape contemporary classrooms. Most studies focus on
general access, enrollment, and policy changes but less on how historical inequities
influence teaching methods, curriculum design, and learner experiences in both urban
and rural contexts. Additionally, while global perspectives provide useful comparisons,
South Africa’s unique socio-political history requires context-specific research to
understand the legacies of colonial and apartheid education.
This study aims to address these gaps by examining the evolution of education in South
Africa, from pre-colonial and colonial systems to apartheid and post-apartheid reforms.
It seeks to explore how historical educational practices and policies continue to shape
modern classroom experiences, teaching approaches, and learner outcomes. By
focusing on this historical trajectory, the study will contribute to a deeper understanding
of current challenges and inform strategies for creating inclusive, equitable, and
effective education systems.
Question 3: Problem, Aim, Questions, Objectives, Rationale
3.1 Problem Statement
The South African education system continues to be influenced by its historical roots.
Colonial and apartheid education policies created inequities that persist in contemporary
schooling, particularly affecting black learners and under-resourced communities.
Despite constitutional guarantees and post-apartheid reforms, access to quality
education, teacher preparedness, and learner outcomes remain unequal. There is
insufficient understanding of how historical education practices influence modern
teaching methods, curricula, and classroom experiences, which limits the ability to
design effective interventions to improve equity and learning outcomes.
