Black parents' perceptions of open schools.

[摘要] The purpose of this research is to investigate and describe black parents'understanding and experiences of the private open school system in theWitwatersrand. Using a framework of multipluralism, the intention of the studyis two-fold. Firstly, it explores the various factors which enhance or inhibit theopen school choice. Secondly, it establishes the role of black parents withinthe open school community, as well as their role within their own blackcommunities.The information required to develop the comprehensive survey questionnairewas elicited through a pilot study. The research data was generated usingstructured interviews from a sample of Belgravia Convent parents.The results show that the reasons which parents give for the choice of openschool education are informed by a number of identities. The study identifiesthese as: social class, racial, religious and geographic identities. Genderidentity was found to have no influence. The motivators for the open schoolchoice are not restricted to the economic discourse, but are also extendedbeyond the economic boundaries to include aspects which are located withinthe political, racial, religious and geographic discourses. These multifariousidentities are found to articulate with one another in complementary andcontradictory ways when motivating the parents' choice of open schooleducation. An example of such a contradictory relationship is when themotivators for the open school choice - the escape from the inferior standardof township education, and the need for better education, the latter beingdriven by the middle class aspiration of upward mobility - contradict the needto maintain racial unity within the black communities, as well as with the desireof not losing their cultural heritage. In other words, the low standard oftownship education together with the social class status of parents stands ata tension with both the political and cultural identities of parents. Hencecontradictions should be taken into account when analysing issues of choice.

[发布机构] University of the Witwatersrand