The learning experiences of learners transitioning from rural and township schools to ex-Model C schools

Soon after attaining democracy in 1994, the South African government introduced the Schools Act (No. 84 of 1996), which came to act as an instrument for the elimination of all segregation from the exclusionary education system of the apartheid era. The Schools Act proclaimed the right to education for all learners and provided the Department of Education with guidelines on removing all segregation features in the education system. The aim of this study was to examine the learning experiences of learners in an ex-Model C school who have transitioned from rural and township schools. The study was conceptualised within the theoretical framework of Purkey and Siegel’s invitational education theory. The participants and research site were selected using purposive and convenience sampling. Data were generated through art-based and focus group discussion methods. Findings from this study suggest that learners in ex-Model C schools experience both inviting and uninviting elements in the learning environment. Learners identified as inviting factors security, resources and small numbers of learners in the classroom, while as disinviting factors they mention language barriers, culturally oriented programmes and a lack of orientation. This paper argues that practices advised by invitational education theory should apply in every ex-Model C school environment in order to enhance the learning experiences of learners transitioning from rural and township schools.