The article considers how language-in-education policy in low-income, postcolonial countries may be better understood from a social justice perspective and some of the implications for policy, practice and research that arise from this. The article starts with a critical overview of the two dominant approaches towards conceptualising language-in-education policy, namely the instrumental and rights-based approaches. The article then sets out a social justice approach that builds critically on a rights-based perspective. Key features of the approach include considering language-in-education as a capability that has the potential to contribute to human well-being and to social justice and understanding the pedagogical, institutional and wider social barriers to achieving linguistic social justice in education and means for overcoming these barriers. Based on this understanding the article then sets out a research agenda that can assist in realising linguistic social justice in education across the th...

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Language-in-education policy in low-income, postcolonial contexts: towards a social justice approach

The South African Schools Act (DoE, 1996) formalised access to quality education for all by granting learners access to any school regardless of social, economic, race and cultural backgrounds. This saw many black families in South Africa enrolling their children into former white schools with the perception that these schools were better resourced and that their children would therefore receive a better education. The purpose of the study is therefore to enhance understanding of the experiences of the Xhosa learners as a minority in a former Model C school and to evaluate the life experiences of the learners within the context of the school system and how these experiences may be influencing their academic success. An ecosystemic theoretical framework guided the approach and orientation to the study undertaken by the researcher. This framework enabled the researcher to contextualise the study within the interacting systems that indirectly and directly influence the life experiences of the participants. The study's research methodology can be described as basic qualitative research embedded within an interpretive paradigm. The participants in grade 9 to 11 (two per grade) were purposively selected to participate in the study. Two methods of data collection were used, namely six individual semi-structured interviews and one focus group interview. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the data. The research findings indicate that the major reasons for poor academic performance of this minority group are linked to discriminative attitudes and feelings of inadequacy. When learners experience the school as a safe place in which they have a sense of belonging, they are more motivated to learn. Working towards the creation and sustainment of this safe environment, which adequately supports the needs of the learners, requires genuine and continual collaboration between the interacting systems within the context of the learners.

Schooling experiences of Xhosa speaking learners as a minority in a high school: implications for support

We found that there are disproportionately intractable challenges such as poverty and inequality in an area of Tanzania, Eastern Africa. There was a need to identify and develop the factors critical for their success. Data were collected in rural Iringa, Tanzania on a case study basis, using a semi-structured interview and communication with leaders in this area of Africa, and we analyzed data with a coded transcript. We identified ten factors that are critical for the success of the orphanage literacy. These findings advance understanding of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and have important practical applications for such enterprises. When the United Nations literacy decade (UNLD, 2003–2012) reached a mid-point, we decided to add to the global awareness of literacy. With initiatives and policy shifts providing a stronger basis for action on literacy, we reached out to Africa. Our concern is that the rise in the global adult literacy rate (15+) from 76 to 83.6 percent over the last two previous decades shows steady progress, with the rates in developing countries showing an even sharper rise from 68 to 79 percent (Richmond, Robinson, & Sachs-Israel, 2008). Thus, we focused on students from grades four to twelve to foster their literary progress as well. This study included 58 students who were also orphans in Kihesa-Iringa, Tanzania. By creating a Coalition of Children’s Book Authors, we established a common ground for global literacy in the form of an NGO. However, the complication in literacy levels exists due to the digital-divide challenges coupled with the expense and delay of material delivered to Africa from the United States. Thankfully, our concern has succeeded to have influence even through the digital divide posed several objectives. Our course of action included a comprehensive plan to reach the 58 orphans, train their leaders, and create interactive learning modules. Thus, our contribution to the literature has reacted to the needs of an African community that could use help in not only literacy but also literacy-leadership communication and knowledge-management.

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Reaching children across the globe: the effect of english children’s books on tanzanian orphan literacy

the Project for the Study of Alternative education in South Africa (PRAeSA: www.praesa.org.za) is an independent research and development organization affiliated with the University of cape town. established by dr. neville Alexander in 1992, PRAeSA emerged from the struggle against apartheid education, to document educational alternatives that had been tried out during those years, which could inform the new education process. circumstances since 1995 focused the project’s work on language policy, especially the key area of language-in-education policy implementation (Alexander). In multilingual South Africa with its eleven official languages, a central focus of PRAeSA has been on early language and literacy teaching and learning as the essential foundations for learning. Our approach appreciates the storytelling hearts and minds of children (and adults) and how meaningful encounters with reading and writing are as critical for learning to read and write as the mechanics of the literacy learning process (Bloch “don’t”). We thus have always had the aim to help enable the kinds of conditions for learning (cambourne), inside and outside of school, which motivates children and adults to want to read and write in African languages and in english. Th e Pr oj ec t f or th e St ud y

Carole Bloch

Papers

The Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa (PRAESA)