Intention or in tension? Recent education reforms in South Africa

The major restructuring of the entire education system in South Africa has produced considerable policy tensions and contradictions. In the light of r ecent legislation, this paper examines the consequences of the Education De partment's attempting to serve the demands for equity in terms of resource allocation and reprioritisation within and between provinces, while simulta neously on a micro school-based level attempting to insert a particular sch ool culture (governance, funding, curricula, conditions of service and so o n) across schools that were previously extremely disparate in terms of the elements referred to above. This attempt at equality in the face of the equ ity drive has considerable consequences for the delivery and provision of e ducation services. The paper discusses these and analyses the policy-making domain which has produced somewhat contradictory outcomes. (C) 2001 Elsevi er Science Ltd. All rights reserved.