Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Bennett, Taryn Kacey

Titel

The Influence of a Boarding-school on the Academic and Social Development of a Rural Male Child

Ort / Verlag

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses

Erscheinungsjahr

2020

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The aim of the study is to explore the influence of a well-functioning boarding-school on the academic and social development of an economically disadvantaged rural male child, referred to by the pseudonym, Bayete. Children who live in rural farming communities are often exposed to poor quality schooling and travel long distances to and from school. In addition, the expectation of domestic duties including farm work tends to impact negatively on rural farm children’s school attendance and their academic performance. One option for such learners to access good quality school education is through boarding-schools. This study thus investigates Bayete’s movement from being a day-scholar at a private school through a two year transition to becoming a weekly boarder at the same school. The study forms part of a larger research project, titled ‘Transforming Education in Rural South Africa’, led by the Inventions for Good Incorporated (IFGI) grant in collaboration with the Department of Childhood Education at the University of Johannesburg. The learner reported on in this study is supported by an IFGI grant. In a qualitative case study design, Bayete’s journey was documented longitudinally and formed the basis of the investigation. Using the theoretical lens of liminality by van Gennep (1909), the three main phases in the movement through the rites of passage, namely the separation phase, the liminal phase and the re-assimilation phase, are explored in relation to the struggles of this young male learner. These struggles impact on various spheres of his life as he learns to acculturate and assimilate into the boarding-school culture and negotiate a new set of structures, practices, and norms. Data was generated through interviews, observations, questionnaires, and documents, such as school report cards. The data were analysed using content analysis (Henning, van Rensburg & Smit, 2004) and interpreted through the theoretical lens of liminality. Three main findings were distilled. First, there is evidence that the movement from being a day-scholar to a boarding-school scholar has impacted positively on Bayete’s academic achievement. In addition, the move into the boardingschool has enabled the development of a select social group. However, as Bayete is a weekly boarder, the disorientation caused by the ongoing movement between boarding-school and home prolongs his state of liminality and forces him to confront a g y p g weekly boarder at the same school. The study forms p ect, titled ‘Transforming Education in Rural South Afric Good Incorporated (IFGI) grant in collaboration with the ucation at the University of Johannesburg. The learner upported by an IFGI grant. e case study design, Bayete’s journey was documented e basis of the investigation. Using the theoretical lens of lim ), the three main phases in the movement through the rit eparation phase, the liminal phase and the re-assimilati ation to the struggles of this young male learner. These st heres of his life as he learns to acculturate and assim ol culture and negotiate a new set of structures, practices l s ife s he learns to acculturat truggles o t is young ma e earne the lim nal phase a d ion. sing gn, B ation U rney on Using th by an IFGI gr by a I grant n Jo ra J g niversity of ohannesbu v number of transitional challenges simultaneously - in terms of place, material space and age. The study concludes that a well-functioning boarding-school has helped Bayete’s academic and social development and may provide pointers for how boarding-schools may provide quality school education for disadvantaged rural learners. Based on the results of this case study of one learner, however, it is clear that the movement to a boarding facility is fraught with many hidden challenges. The need for psychosocial support for learners seems to be paramount. Despite the valuable findings, as this study only focused on one adolescent learner, the generalisability of the findings is limited. More in-depth studies of a greater age range of children from different circumstances may enable more generalisable lessons for the field of rural education.