The South African Schools Act 84 of 1996 aims to make high-quality basic education accessible to all South African children irrespective of race and geographic location in the country.

Written by significant role-players and members of the judiciary, Pathways to Successful Schooling reflects on the journey of South African schooling over the past 20 years. This book was prompted by the 2016 Schools Act symposium, Schools Act @ 20: Charting the Way Forward, which celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Schools Act.

Looking at education since 1996, this book considers practical alternatives for addressing contentious matters. Unique to this work is the inclusion of the first ever analysis of the background to the drafting of the Schools Act.

Pathways to Successful Schooling gives perspectives on dreams, expectations and realities. It reflects on what became of the vision of the Education White Paper 1 and the Schools Act. An international dimension is added by the discussion of constitutional changes and values in the context of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The book also looks at legislating for the realisation of children’s rights and offers the view that, although the Act has set the pace, broader efforts will enhance children’s rights in South Africa.

• Foreword: Twenty years of the South African Schools Act – Elijah Mhlanga
• Preface: An important milestone – Elda de Waal
• List of contributors
• List of abbreviations
• Table of cases
• Table of legislation
• Drafting the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996 – Eberhard Bertelsmann
• Constitutional changes and values of the South African Schools Act – Georgia du Plessis & Jan de Groof
  • Historical context and development of the Schools Act
  • Significant shifts in values under the constitution and the Schools Act
  • Has the constitutional dream been realised under the Schools Act?
• Perspectives on dreams, expectations and realities – Paul Colditz
• Legislating for the realisation of children’s rights — the Schools Act and beyond – Trynie Boezaart
  • Celebrate the achievements: Banning corporal punishment
  • Acknowledge the shortcomings: Failing children with disabilities
  • The way forward
• Charting the teacher path – finding magic in knowledge – Ignorance of the law is no excuse, or is it? – Elda de Waal & Elize Küng
  • The significance of education law o Knowledge about legal guidelines: Professional ethics
  • The Schools Act
  • The way forward
• The Schools Act and school governance – successes, cases and challenges – Marius Smit
  • Essential features of the Schools Act
  • The South African Schools Act and governing bodies
  • Erosion of the powers of governing bodies
  • Should the powers and functions of governing bodies be reduced?
  • Should the Schools Act be maintained, amended or replaced?
• The other side of the dagga leaf – possible pitfalls for schooling in legalising cannabis – Elfrieda Fleischmann & Adam Mickleburgh
  • Background: A conflict of rights
  • Consequences of adolescent cannabis usage
  • Case studies: The other side of the dagga leaf
  • Possible schooling pitfalls for consideration
  • The way forward
• Exploring the possibility of internship as a key criterion for SACE (South African Council for Educators) registration – Deon van Tonder & Elsa Fourie
  • The seven roles of teachers
  • The use of internships to alleviate teachers’ workload
  • Theoretical framework of research into use of interns
  • Research aims
  • Research method
  • Data analysis
  • The way forward
• Epilogue
  • Part 1: Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (FEDSAS) and the Schools Act – Constanze van der Walt
  • Part 2: Governing Body Foundation (GBF) and the Schools Act – Tim Gordon
• Photo gallery (14 November 2017)