DEVELOPMENT POLICY AND SCIENCE-EDUCATION IN SOUTH-AFRICA - REFLECTIONS ON POST-FORDISM AND PRAXIS

South African science education is in a state of flux as the new gover nment embarks on a process of renewal and redress in education policy. Existing curricula reflect priorities that are not relevant to new ne eds, patterns of participation testify to systematic neglect of the sc ience education of the mass of the population under apartheid. The pap er argues that the first step in developing new policy is to understan d the links between science and technology based development strategie s and investment in science education. It then offers an analysis of i nnovations in production technology associated with 'best practice'; p ost-Fordist production methods and flexible specialisation that seem l ikely to have direct implications for the education system. The influe nce of these on the reform of science education is discussed in some d etail. Finally, some reflections on the problems that arise when imple menting educational innovations in conditions of rapid change are iden tified and explored.