Philosophies of education and their futures in South Africa

Abstract Philosophy of education in South Africa during the latter half of the 20th century was characterized by three ideological strands. The first was known as ‘Fundamental Pedagogics’, the second as ‘Liberalism’, and the third as ‘Liberation Socialism’ (i.e. Marxism/Freire). When apartheid formally ended in 1994, these strands lost their impetus and faded from educational debates, arguably because of the disappearance of apartheid itself, as the locus relative to which these ideological strands had positioned themselves. This article elucidates these three positions and some of their major proponents and ideas, followed by an overview of where philosophy of education in South Africa is now, nearly thirty years after apartheid. I suggest that, since 1994, the strong, competing philosophical and ideological commitments that informed philosophy of education during apartheid have significantly dissipated, and have not been meaningfully replaced. Instead, education policy and curriculum are now arguably underpinned by neo-liberal concerns, and the results of this have been, and continue to be, an unmitigated disaster for schooling in South Africa. Part of the reason for this is that philosophy of education as a whole is much diminished, no longer directly, meaningfully contributing to or informing educational discourse, policy, teacher-training, and curriculum in South African schooling.