An exploration of sociocultural adaptations of black students in South African private high schools

Abstract

This study explored the sociocultural adaptations of Black students in South African private high schools. The specific objectives of the study were to: (1) explore the positive and negative sociocultural experiences of Black students who attended private high schools in South Africa; (2) explore how Black students who attended private high schools navigate their negative experiences; (3) explore how the experiences-both negative and positive- shape young Black South Africans' sense of identity; (4) provide with recommendations for policy and practice. This study used a qualitative interpretive research paradigm to achieve its objectives. The study used data gathered from in-depth interviews conducted with 25 Black former students aged between 18 and 24 years. An interview guide was developed to collect information on the participants’ positive experiences, negative experiences, coping mechanisms, and sense of identity. The study also used media reports from online newspaper articles published since 2015.

The study adopted the decolonial approach because it points to coloniality and other systems of oppression in terms of institutional practices, values, attitudes, and behavioural expectations, which have an impact on the experiences of Black students in private high schools. The salient findings that emerged were that: positive experiences in private schools included experiences of diversity, inclusive policies, and a space to build strong social network relationships. The negative experiences include experiences of racial insensitivity, privileged white standards of beauty, binary constructions of gender and sexuality, erasure of cultural significance, and cultural isolation. Based on the findings of this study in relation to institutional practices, attitudes and behavioural expectations, I argue that some features of coloniality are evident in some South African private high schools through the privileging of Western ideologies and perpetuation of ideas of whiteness which impact the ways in which Black students experience and adapt in these Westernised spaces. These experiences have a potential to impact social and cultural identity negatively.

The study concluded with recommendations for policy and practice: 1) Private high schools should consider implementing anti-racist training programmes that make students and staff recognise and appreciate diversity to reinforce cultural sensitivity and inclusivity. 2) Private schools should implement programmes to encourage Black students and parents to speak out about any type of discrimination or prejudice to eradicate silencing and minimisation. 3) The government should play a proactive role in monitoring educational institutions to encourage transformation programmes. The government should not use monitoring as party political expediency.