Mediocracy and the fraud called education: the case of South Africa's curriculum statements in English

Abstract

This paper examines the changes effected in the curricular statements that have guided English Language education in South Africa since 1994. It questions the philosophical, pedagogical and instructional logic that has informed the changes by centring on the frequency of political pronouncements and the ripple effects these have had on the delivery of the language curriculum and the performance of the learners at the exit level, the matriculation examination. Ultimately, this paper submits that whereas the logic of political redress sought to universalise the South African curriculum, the subsequent revisions and overhauls have had a deleterious effect on performance, teaching-learning materials and the general readiness to implement the changes.