An investigation into the educational experiences of learners from low socio-economic backgrounds in a secondary school in the uThukela District.

Abstract

Various policies have been introduced in the South African education system, ending segregation to provide quality education for all. However, the imperatives within these policies have not been realised and effectively implemented. Instead, racial and social inequalities and discrimination still prevail in schools. This study sought to investigate the educational experiences of learners from low socio-economic backgrounds in a secondary school. The study set out to understand the inclusionary and exclusionary factors a sample of learners encountered and the strategies they used to navigate the exclusionary factors. The study explored how complexities and struggles from the learners’ social lives influenced their experiences and academic achievements. This was a qualitative study, located within the critical research paradigm, which allowed for the critical understanding of the complexities and struggles, stemming from the learners’ educational and social lives. Semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and participatory photovoice were used to generate data to understand and obtain insights into learners’ lives. Bourdieu’s notions of field, habitus and capital were used to understand and make sense of the participants’ experiences. The findings of the study revealed that learners from low socio-economic backgrounds experienced marginalisation and discrimination in the field of the school. For example, English, as the school’s language of learning and teaching, was a significant barrier to learning, severely undermining the learners’ access to their constitutional right to education. Factors contributing to the learners’ struggles were often associated with their social lives, constraining their abilities to navigate the maze of their academic lives. This study also found that the participants often challenged their circumstances, showing resilience and agency in navigating and negotiating barriers to learning and development. This included, for example, forging relationships with their teachers and peers to ensure that they accessed education. The findings suggest that the learners valued and fought for education, as a mechanism to expand their opportunities for social mobility within a class-based field. In this regard, the findings debunk deficit constructions of learners from socioeconomically deprived contexts.