Social Justice and Human Rights in Education Policy Discourse: Assessing Nelson Mandela’s Legacy

Abstract

Twenty years after South Africa’s democratization, Nelson Mandela’s passing has prompted scholars to examine his legacy in various domains. Here we take a look at his legacy in education discourse. Tracing Mandela’s thoughts and pronouncements on education we find two major emphases: a view of education as a practical means to economic development, and education as a means to social justice, human rights, and democracy. Assessing the legacy of these twin emphases, we conducted qualitative and quantitative content analysis of turning point documents in education policy and annual reports from the respective South African ministries of education over the last two decades. Our analysis reveals that although a focus on education policy for economic development has consistently remained strong, Mandela’s view of education serving to foster social justice, inter-racial equality, human rights, and a deepening of democracy has faded in official educational policy discourse.