Guidelines for the review and re-formulation of the South African white paper on e-education (white paper 7)

Abstract

This study used a qualitative historical research approach to analyse the context of formulation for the South African e-Education policy document, referred to as White paper 7 (WP7). The researcher conducted a multidimensional assessment of the policy itself, including the socioeconomic and political context of its formulation. There is dearth of research on the causes of WP7 failure despite its inability to reach the set objectives and goals by 2013. The known existing studies on WP7’s failure exonerate it and its context of formulation. The causes of failure are, in the main, attributed to other factors, such as teachers’ inability to use technology and their reluctance to the cause. The study relied on two main sources of data, including data collected through semi-structured interviews (SSI) with purposefully selected participants, and the analysis of key documents relating to WP7. Both sources of data were subjected to critical discourse analysis which involved the application of The Habermas Theory of Communicative Action (TCA) - Validity Claims (VC). Findings from the study reveal that the post-apartheid socioeconomic and political context of South Africa significantly influenced the formulation of WP7. With regard to policy as process, the study found that WP7 formulation failed to follow conventional or orthodox public policy formulation process. This may have led to its textual perspectives having the hallmarks of a symbolic policy, characterised by the lack of dedicated financial resources, amongst others. From its discourse perspective, it is found that WP7 remained in the rhetoric of the defunct curriculum 2005 (C2005) (Inclusive of its principal tenet the Outcomes-based Education (OBE)) and the discourse of HIV/AIDS while the master curriculum, from which it derived its existence, evolved. Finally, although it is found that, WP7, in terms of the Validity claim tests, was comprehensive enough, it, however, failed the truth, sincerity and legitimacy claim tests. In light of the aforementioned, and following the ultimate aim of the study to develop guidelines for WP7 review and reformulation, the researcher developed guidelines which are proposed to the Basic Education sector, in line with the expansion of the lifespan of WP7 to 2030, to align it with the National Development Plan (NDP). Inclusive to the guidelines is a proposed web-based application for the operationalisation of the newly reviewed and reformulated e-Education policy.