Exploring teachers’ roles in realising human rights in township classrooms
Abstract
In South Africa, the notion of human rights is young and therefore deserves dedicated advancement (Klug, 2013:111; Plaatjies, 2013). For this reason, the Constitution (RSA, 1996a: Chapter 2) implies that teachers should play a significant role in respecting, protecting, and promoting human rights in township classrooms.
Despite international and national law as well as conventions on human rights, teachers are still struggling to promote, protect and respect human rights. Township classrooms present particular challenges adding to the need for guidelines in this regard. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers’ roles in realising human rights in township classrooms. Teachers are obliged by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996a) as well as relevant education legislation to play a significant role in upholding human rights, and authors such as Becker et al. (2015) and Pillay (2014) are of the opinion that teachers’ understanding of human rights is insufficient. Therefore, there is a need to provide teachers with adequate knowledge and the necessary skills to fulfil their role effectively towards the realisation of human rights.
The study is framed by theoretical notions such as human rights literacy, human rights education, and professional development and also includes a basic legal framework as presented by Education Law to assist teachers in playing their roles towards the realisation of human rights in the township classroom. The study explored a variety of approaches, methodologies, and methods to assist teachers in the application and implementation of human rights. As Eloff (2019) stated, looking at one perspective is not enough and would be short-sighted if one is to teach human rights.
The research study positioned itself in an advocacy research paradigm with a qualitative research design. Narrative inquiry was employed as empirical methodology in this study and the participants were selected by means of purposive sampling to take part in written narratives. Two schools in Lejweleputswa took part and twenty-nine participants participated in written narratives. Data was analysed by means of narrative and thematic analysis and six themes emerged from the written narratives: support, security, discipline, resources, and resilience. These were discussed and interpreted, and the findings revealed inter alia that the Department of Education and parents do not support teachers and that teachers struggle with learners’ unacceptable behaviour. As a result, teachers feel the need to turn to banned corporal punishment in trying to gain control over the behaviour of unruly learners. Teachers also feel that they are not safe at schools and that they are only performing their role through the Grace of God.
The study combines findings from the literature study, legal study, and empirical study to propose practical guidelines that will assist teachers to fulfil their role towards the realisation of human rights effectively.
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