Abstract
The Centre for Democratising Information Public Primary Education Research Project is part of a larger Community Capability Study that explores community well-being and agency. This education project aims to investigate the state of education in public primary schools in South Africa, with particular focus on schools in poor communities. The specific objectives are to explore the:
i. challenges facing learning and teaching in South African public schools
ii. dominant classroom practices in schools located in poor communities
iii. factors contributing to current classroom practices
iv. learning opportunities in the home
v. role of digital technology in public primary schooling.
The study was conducted in four phases over 10 months; starting in March 2012 and completing in December 2012. Phase 1 centred on interviewing experts in the field of education and recent local literature on the state of public schools. Phase 2 explored perceptions regarding education in poor communities. Phase 3 concentrated on reviewing the latest literature on the role of new digital technology, especially mobile devices in supporting education delivery. Phase 4 investigated the context of public primary schools in communities that experience multiple deprivations and the kinds of support that is needed to improve the quality of foundation phase education in public primary schools.
