The complexity of dealing with change in the South African schooling system: 20 years into democracy

The issue of educational transformation and quality basic education in South Africa has been the focus of both academic and political debates, particularly evident in student unpreparedness for tertiary education. Following the democratic elections of 1994, education democratisation has been formalised, with the redistribution and extension of power to local school governing bodies and the removal of centralised control over certain aspects of educational decision-making. The new educational policies are underpinned by numerous regulations on governance, labour relations, performance and performance management, which bring complexity to the work that goes on in schools. This article looks at the complexity of dealing with change in the South African schooling system. Taking a historical and reflective stance, the article discusses the moderating effects of distal forces (political, socio-economicand complex policy framework) and their impact on proximal forces (resource provisioning including school infrastructure, well-resourced and under-resourced teaching and learning contexts). Despite notable achievements in many areas since 1994, including social services and the political economy, it is not easy to undo the overtly racist, oppressive and unjust policies that determined the mandate and scope of education for the different racial groups in the country for more than 100 years. Possible solutions are suggested for educational policies and school reform.