Integration and learners' feelings of belonging in a desegregated former House of Delegates school

Abstract

The first South African democratic general election of 1994 precipitated the eradication of South Africa’s separate and unequal education system. The presidential tenure of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela brought much hope that the majority of South Africans would not have thought possible. The new era carried, among other promises, the transformation of South African policies, to ensure that all South African children would have access to a school of their choice and that no child would be turned away from school on grounds of race, ethnicity, class and/ or religion. School desegregation has been one of the means of attaining social cohesion and ensuring that all learners have access to all South African schools. School desegregation can be said to have been taking place on at least five (5) or more (taking also to consideration that there are typologies of ethnic and/ or religion desegregations taking place) different levels or typologies. These typologies are equally important as the African-to-White school migrations that have been taking place in South Africa. Thus, using a case study, this thesis - Integration and learners' feelings of belonging in a desegregated former House of Delegates school - contributes to the debates on social cohesion; desegregation and integration of the learning environment bestowed with diverse learner and teacher populations. It however traces the experiences of Black and Indian learners in a desegregated former House of Delegates school to determine the successes and possible challenges of ensuring social cohesion and racial integration at a school level. The study concludes that social cohesion and school integration is possible when the focus is learner-centered, the school environment is enabling and that feelings of belonging and integration are intertwined and it is challenging to achieve one without the other. Undertaken at a specific school context, this study does not claim that the findings are a trend in other schools although this cannot be ruled out in similar school and context. Learners in this study seemed not to be constrained by the racial classifications but defined and formed friendships along their likes, commonness, and future aspirations.